JOIN USA careless mistake caused a devastating gas cylinder leak, leaving six members of a family grievously injured in Papaiah Layout early Thursday morning.
The victims have been identified as Venkataraman, 35, a native of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who is employed as a software engineer in the City; his wife Gayathri, 28; their two children, Sriraghavi, 6, and Sugitha, 3. Venkataraman’s parents, Rangarajan, 65, and Vasantha, 60, who had come from Salem to visit them, are fighting for their lives in a private hospital. They were to return to Salem by the morning train.
Venkataraman, his wife and children were asleep when the accident occurred, his cousin Jayachandran said. Rangarajan was watching a classical music show on the television and Vasantha was in the kitchen. She turned on the stove’s gas switch, but hadn’t turned it off when she went to the bathroom seconds later.
The gas had filled the kitchen when she returned after 10 minutes. “As soon as she activated the electric lighter, she was engulfed by flames,” Jayachandran said.
The fire rapidly swept the hall. Hearing his parents’ cries, Venkataraman opened the bedroom door even as the blaze gushed onto his face and into the bedroom. Quickly waking up his wife and children, Venkataraman rushed them out and scurried into the smouldering house to help his parents.
The landlord, Vishwanath, who lives on the ground floor, told Deccan Herald that the flames were so intense that he could feel the heat in his house.Once everyone was outside, Venkataraman summoned a 108 ambulance and rushed the family to Victoria Hospital.
Dr Neelamma of the burns ward said Vasantha had suffered 95 per cent burns and the chances of her survival were bleak. Rangarajan suffered close to 45 per cent burns and Venkataraman 30 per cent burns. Sugitha suffered 25 per cent burns, Sriraghavi 17 per cent, and Gayathri 12 per cent.
The family was shifted to a private hospital by Thursday evening. According to hospital sources, Rangarajan and Sugitha are in a critical condition.
Hennur police are investigating.