One person was killed and 35 huts were gutted when a fire broke out near Kandiyur in Thanjavur district on Wednesday. Reports speak of a sudden burst of an LPG cylinder in a house as the cause of the fire.
The fire, aided by strong winds, swiftly spread to neighbouring houses in Fathima Nagar that had thatched sheds and roofs.
As the fire spread to nearby houses, more than a dozen LPG cylinders exploded.
The residents tried in vain to douse the inferno and fire tenders from Thanjavur, Tiruvaiyaru, Tirukattupalli, Ayyampettai and a sophisticated fire unit from the Thanjavur Air Force Station were rushed to the site.
But by the time the fire was doused completely, it had reduced over 35 huts and houses and the belongings in them to cinders.
A resident of the area Sheikh Alauddin who was caught in the fire was charred to death.
More than a dozen people sustained injuries in trying to contain the fire and while attempting to remove properties to safety.