Eight persons were killed due to asphyxiation after they got stuck inside a private scan centre that was engulfed by thick smoke following a fire accident in a nearby cracker shop in Sivakasi on Thursday.
The police said that among the deceased were six women and two men. Six of the victims were employees of scan centre.
They were identified as A. Peter, manager of the scan centre, A. Kamatchi (22), G. Valarmathi, P. Pusphalakshmi, R. Raja and P. Padma Latha. Two others were identified as Devi (18) and H. Sornakumari, who had come to the scan centre.
The police said the fire was triggered by friction while loading crackers in a truck parked on the Virudhunagar ByPass Road here at around 1.30 p.m. The workers were loading the fireworks bundles from Ragavendra agency.
As the truckload of crackers started bursting, the goods inside the shop went up in flames. With thick smoke engulfing the area, patients, doctors and staff of Devaki Scan Centre, located on the rear side of the shop, got stuck inside.
“They could not come out of the centre as its pathway, adjacent to the shop, was on fire,” the Sivakasi Deputy Superintendent of Police, K. Saravanakumar, said.
Smoke entered the scan centre and people raised alarm seeking help. “Only after hearing their alarm were went to its back side and broke open a window and rescued the people,” Sivakasi Station Fire Officer, K. Murugan said.
Though the operation was done within 15 minutes, even by then many inside the centre were in a semi-conscious state. “Out of the 41 persons, including the staff members, only 15 persons walked out after the rescue. Others were almost unconscious. Only those eight persons, who had suffered the most, had succumbed in the hospitals,” he added.
Virudhunagar Collector, A. Sivagnanam, and the Superintendent of Police, M. Rajarajan, oversaw the rescue work.
“The death was only because of suffocation due to thick fumes and none of them had any physical injuries. Among the deceased, five are employees of the scan centre,” the Collector said.
The licensee of the shop, Anandaraj, and Shenbagaraman, who is running the shop, have been booked, the police said.
The police said that among the deceased were six women and two men. Six of the victims were employees of scan centre.
They were identified as A. Peter, manager of the scan centre, A. Kamatchi (22), G. Valarmathi, P. Pusphalakshmi, R. Raja and P. Padma Latha. Two others were identified as Devi (18) and H. Sornakumari, who had come to the scan centre.
The police said the fire was triggered by friction while loading crackers in a truck parked on the Virudhunagar ByPass Road here at around 1.30 p.m. The workers were loading the fireworks bundles from Ragavendra agency.
As the truckload of crackers started bursting, the goods inside the shop went up in flames. With thick smoke engulfing the area, patients, doctors and staff of Devaki Scan Centre, located on the rear side of the shop, got stuck inside.
“They could not come out of the centre as its pathway, adjacent to the shop, was on fire,” the Sivakasi Deputy Superintendent of Police, K. Saravanakumar, said.
Smoke entered the scan centre and people raised alarm seeking help. “Only after hearing their alarm were went to its back side and broke open a window and rescued the people,” Sivakasi Station Fire Officer, K. Murugan said.
Though the operation was done within 15 minutes, even by then many inside the centre were in a semi-conscious state. “Out of the 41 persons, including the staff members, only 15 persons walked out after the rescue. Others were almost unconscious. Only those eight persons, who had suffered the most, had succumbed in the hospitals,” he added.
Virudhunagar Collector, A. Sivagnanam, and the Superintendent of Police, M. Rajarajan, oversaw the rescue work.
“The death was only because of suffocation due to thick fumes and none of them had any physical injuries. Among the deceased, five are employees of the scan centre,” the Collector said.
The licensee of the shop, Anandaraj, and Shenbagaraman, who is running the shop, have been booked, the police said.