Three women were charred to death after their huts were gutted in Papathi Amman Koil street in Erukanchery, Kodungaiyur, on Friday.
Around 1 a.m. on Friday, some residents saw smoke coming from a hut but before they could alert their neighbours, the fire spread to all 12 huts in the locality.
Immediately, fire fighters from Vyasarpadi, Otteri, Sembium and Washermenpet rushed to the spot and after more than an hour, were able to put out the flames.
All three victims — Saroja (76), her daughter Meenakshi (53) and their neighbour Rajaamma (82) — died while they were sleeping, the police said.
“The houses of the three victims were the ones that were gutted first,” said a police officer attached to the Kodungaiyur police investigating the case.
Five persons were injured and admitted to the Government Stanley Hospital. “Apart from human loss, four bikes and seven bicycles were also gutted. A few pet dogs and cats too lost their lives in the fire,” said another police officer.
The police said an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire.
