COIMBATORE: A 53-year-old schoolteacher died and three others sustained burns in a fire that broke out during the funeral arrangement of her mother-in-law at her house at KRG Nagar in Ganapathy in Coimbatore on Friday afternoon.
Police said two of the three survivors suffered over 60% burn injuries and are critical.
According to sources, the fire broke out after the petrol spilled while refuelling a portable generator, kept for operating the freezer box, hit a nearby earthen lamp.
According to sources, B Ramalakshmi (83) from KRG Nagar died of age-related illness on Thursday evening. She was living with her son Murugasubramanian (60) and her daughter-in-law Padmavathi (53), who was working as a Tamil teacher at a school in Ram Nagar in Coimbatore.
‘Neighbours, kin broke open window and rescue four’
Ramalakshmi’s younger son B Rajeswaran (55), daughter Banumathi (50) and Banumathi’s husband Ramasubramanian were also looking after the funeral arrangements on Friday. Rajeswaran has visual, auditory and speech disabilities, sources said. Due to power outage, the family rented a portable generator to operate the freezer box.
S Sriram (20) of Varadharaj Nagar near Ganapathy brought the generator to their home. According to sources, while Sriram was refuelling the generator, he accidentally spilled petrol onto the earthen lamp kept near the freezer box, sparking a fire.
When the fire spread to the petrol can, the youth dropped it in panic and the fire rapidly spread throughout the small house. Padmavathi, Banumathi, Rajeswaran, and Sriram, who were caught inside the house, sustained burn injuries.
Ramalakshmi’s body, however, was saved by the freezer box. Sources said neighbours and a few relatives broke open the house window and rescued the four. Upon information, fire and rescue services personnel from the Ganapathy Fire Station arrived at the spot and doused the fire.
Youth dropped can in panic
Sources said Sriram was refuelling the generator when he spilled petrol onto the earthen lamp kept near the freezer box, sparking a fire. When the fire spread to the petrol can, the youth dropped it in panic and the fire rapidly spread throughout the small house.