Five members of a family, including two children, died of severe burns when a fire triggered an LPG explosion in their house in Beedi Colony in Udaigiri police station limits here in the early hours of Friday.
Three others of the family who sustained burns are being treated in the K.R. Hospital here.
Police Commissioner K.L. Sudheer, who visited the spot, told The Hindu that the explosion was caused by leaking LPG after the fire broke out. “We are investigating what caused the fire,” he said.
A portion of the house collapsed due to the impact of the explosion.
“As the family suspects foul play, we have summoned experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory, Bangalore, to inspect the spot. We are also awaiting the post-mortem report,” he said.
The police identified the dead as Mohammad Ameer Jan (70), his daughters Parveen Taj (27) and Rizwana Banu (36), and Rizwana’s children Fathima (8) and Mohammad Arhan (2).
Ameer Jan’s wife Afroze Begum and their another daughter Reshma Anjum (24) are being treated for serious burns. Mohammad Yasin, Ameer Jan’s grandson, who sustained minor burns, is recuperating in the hospital.
According to the police, Ms. Afroze has sustained 70 per cent burns while Ms. Reshma, who works in an NGO, has sustained 30 per cent burns.
Mr. Sudheer said, “Ms. Reshma suspects conspiracy behind the incident because of some hostility. We are looking into the conspiracy angle and trying to find out whether it’s a murder or an accident.”
Senior police officials, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shantanu Sinha and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Bheemaiah visited the spot.
A large number of people had gathered outside the house following the incident. The former Minister Tanveer Sait and the former mayor Ayub Khan also visited the spot.
