Three members of a family suffered severe burns from an LPG cylinder blast in their house in Madhavaram on Tuesday.
Leakage from a damaged rubber tube that connected the gas stove to the cylinder is suspected to be the reason behind the blast.
The injured are K.V. Radhakrishnan (54), a carpenter, his wife R. Saraswathi (49), and their son R. Nagaraj (25), also a carpenter.
The blast took place around 6 a.m. on Tuesday when Saraswathi attempted to light the stove to make tea. She was thrown out of the kitchen into the living room where Radhakrishnan and Nagaraj were sitting.
Due to the impact, windows and electrical equipment in the 300-sq. ft. house were damaged. Neighbours rescued the injured and alerted fire fighters and the police.
A team of firemen from Madhavaram had to battle for nearly an hour to douse the flames and prevent fire from spreading to nearby houses. The injured were admitted to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) for treatment. A case of accidental fire has been registered.
“My parents and brother moved to the rented house on May 1. It is an unfortunate incident. They were on the lookout for a bride for Nagaraj,” said Radhakrishnan’s daughter, Thilagavathi (22), who lives in Pooneri.
Doctors at KMCH said the three were in critical condition with more than 70 per cent burn injuries on the chest and abdomen.
The police said the cylinder’s rubber tube was found damaged in two places and patched up with plastic. Saraswathi had not turned off the cylinder on Monday night resulting in gas leakage.
