A 60-year-old woman died of smoke inhalation when she and her family started a fire to keep warm on Sunday night.
The police identified the deceased as G. Kalavathy. She was living with her husband, Gajapathy (66) and son G. Mahendran (30) in Ambikapuram near Coonoor. The three had lit a fire inside their home to keep warm through the night.
The family had used some varnish as fuel for the fire and is believed to have fallen asleep. The noxious gases from the fire is believed to have knocked them unconscious and local residents rushed into their house on early Monday morning after noticing the smoke bellowing from their house.
All three persons were rushed to the Coonoor Government Hospital. However, Kalavathy was pronounced dead and Gajapathy and Mahendran were rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. The police said the condition of both the men was serious.
