Death toll in fire at house in Coimbatore climbs to three as two siblings succumb to burns

by · The Hindu

Two siblings, who suffered severe burns in a fire that broke out in a house at Ganapathy in Coimbatore on November 15, died without responding to treatment.

R. Banumathi, 50, and her brother B. Rajeswaran, 55, who were undergoing treatment at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), died without responding to treatment. While Banumathi died on Monday evening, Rajeswaran died on Tuesday.

The police said that the bodies of the deceased were handed over to the families after post-mortem examination on Wednesday.

The two suffered burns at their maternal residence at KRG Nagar near Ganapathy on November 15, after fuel meant for operating a generator to power a mobile freezer unit spilled and caused a fire. The accident took place when they, along with relatives and neighbours, were mourning the death of their mother B. Ramalakshmi, 83, who died on November 14.

When generator operator S. Sriram was filling fuel in the machine, it spilled and fell on a lamp that was kept near the freezer unit. As Sriram dropped the fuel container in panic, the fire spread on the portico of the house, where several people were present.

Banumathi, Rajeswaran and their sister-in-law M. Padmavathy suffered severe burns in the accident. Padmavathy, who had been teaching Tamil in a school at Ram Nagar, died while being rushed to CMCH. Sriram, who suffered around 35 % of burns, is undergoing treatment, said the police.

Published - November 20, 2024 06:25 pm IST