Fire and rescue personnel outside the Visaka Women’s Hostel in Madurai, where a fire claimed two lives in the early hours of Thursday, September 12, 2024
| Photo Credit: R. Ashok

Two teachers died of asphyxiation at a private women’s hostel near Periyar Bus Stand in Madurai city after a fire triggered by a refrigerator blast broke out in the two-storey building in the early hours of Thursday (September 12, 2024).

The police identified the deceased as Parimala Soundari, 50, a teacher at the Government Middle School in Sholavandan, and Saranya, who taught at a private catering institute.

The police said the compressor of a mini refrigerator inside Visaka Women’s Hostel at Katrapalayam exploded at around 4.30 a.m.

The hostel was functioning on the first and second floors of an old building in a narrow street.

The blast woke up the inmates, and chaos prevailed as thick black smoke filled the building.

While some of the women managed to escape by climbing down the narrow but steep flight of steps, others were stranded in the darkness.

Fire and rescue personnel from the Madurai Fire Station rushed to the spot, put out the flames, and rescued the stranded women from the first and second floors of the building.

What eyewitnesses said

Fifty-four-year-old P. Santhi, who hails from Tindivanam, has been staying in the hostel for the last six months. Besides working women, many job aspirants preparing for competitive examinations also resided in the hostel, she said.

Another woman said she escaped from the billowing smoke by finding her way to an open space on the terrace, from where she was rescued by the fire and rescue personnel.

Wooden partitions, cupboards, furniture, and books, and other belongings of inmates were burnt in the fire.

The rescuers found the two deceased women lying unconscious in the hostel and rushed them to a private hospital. They were declared brought dead.

The hostel warden, J. Pushpa, 66, of Palanganatham, suffered burn injuries on her face, chest, and hand.

Two others, K. Janani, 17, a nursing student from Melur, and M. Kani, 65, from Karaikudi, suffered from breathlessness and were admitted to a private hospital.

The rescued residents of the hostel were accommodated in a hall nearby.

Building was issued notice, say authorities

The Tideer Nagar police are investigating the incident. Madurai Corporation Commissioner, C. Dinesh Kumar, and Revenue Divisional Officer (Madurai), R.D. Shalini, were among those who inspected the accident site on Thursday morning.

According to Corporation officials, the two-storey building had been issued a notice for demolition in October 2023 owing to its dilapidated condition. However, the owner of the building had got a stay order on the Corporation’s action.

The building owner, S. Dhinkaran, however, said that one of the tenants, Inba Jegadeesan, had taken the building on rent to run a hospital, but had turned the first and second floors into a hostel.

A legal case to vacate the tenant had been going on, he said.