In a freak accident, a 84-year-old man was charred to death after a fire engulfed his room due to a short circuit in the air-conditioner in the early hours of Tuesday.
The victim Balasubramanian, 84, used to be a High Court stenographer and a resident of Nanganallur. He was bed-ridden for a few years and stayed with his wife Annapoorani, 77, in an apartment while their children are living abroad.
P. Sabarinathan, Police Inspector, Pazhavanthangal, said Balasubramanian and Annapoorani used to sleep in different rooms. At 5 a.m., the air conditioner in his room burst into flames. A huge amount of smoke emerged from the gas in the AC and filled the room.
Annapoorani, who noticed the smell, raised an alarm and informed the neighbours. Fire and Rescue Services personnel reached the spot and put out the fire. Police recovered the body and sent it to Government Hospital, Chrompet for postmortem.
Pazhavanthangal police registered a case and further investigation is on.
