A 21-year-old youth died in a fire at a plastic bag manufacturing unit in Lakshmipuram, Mudichur, early on Monday morning. An electrical short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire at the unit past midnight.
Five men, including the victim Suraj Singh, were engaged in maintenance work when the fire broke out. On receiving information of the incident, firemen from Tambaram reached the spot and put out the fire after battling for over an hour.
The five men were rushed to a private hospital in Perungalathur, where Suraj succumbed to injuries. Peerkankaranai police said that according to hospital sources, the youth had died due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a condition that prevented oxygen from entering his lungs.
The victim is believed to fallen on a machine while trying to escape the rapidly spreading flames.
His body was moved to the Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital (Chromepet GH) for a post-mortem. Four others are undergoing treatment and are recovering. Goods and machinery estimated to be worth several lakhs of rupees are reported to be damaged, police added.