Two Men Critically Injured in Chengalpattu Cylinder Blast While Saving Neighbors

A father and son were critically injured after a gas cylinder exploded while they were attempting to rescue their neighbors from a house fire on Middle Street in Periya Natham, Chengalpattu, early Thursday morning.

The incident occurred around 4:00 AM on Thursday at the residence of 60-year-old Jayakumar. According to the Chengalpattu police, the fire broke out due to an electrical short circuit inside the house.

Upon hearing a loud commotion from the neighboring residence, 70-year-old Shanmugam and his 40-year-old son, Karthikeyan, immediately rushed to the spot to help the family escape the blaze. However, the fire had quickly spread to the motor room of the house. As the father and son approached to assist, a gas cylinder stored inside the motor room exploded, inflicting severe burn injuries on both of them.

Emergency responders and locals rushed the injured to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital. Three to four other individuals who sustained minor injuries during the incident were treated as outpatients at the hospital and were subsequently discharged.

Due to the critical nature of their burn injuries, Shanmugam and Karthikeyan were later shifted to Apollo Hospital in Vanagaram to receive advanced medical care. Medical reports indicated that Shanmugam sustained approximately 55 percent burns, while his son Karthikeyan suffered 60 to 70 percent burns across his body.

The Chengalpattu police have registered a formal case regarding the fire and the subsequent explosion. Police officials stated that both Shanmugam and Karthikeyan remain conscious and are able to speak.

As part of the standard legal procedure in cases involving life-threatening burn injuries, the judicial magistrate from Poonamallee visited the victims and recorded their dying declarations.