AC explodes in Porur, couple injured

CHENNAI: A couple suffered burns after their air-conditioner burst into flames around 12.30 am on Tuesday while they were fast asleep in their home at Porur , just days after a fire in a refridgerator killed three people in their sleep at Selaiyur.

The injured couple , identified as Prakash Menon, 55, and and his wife, Bindhu, 48, live on the second floor an apartment complex with 40 homes at Shakti Nagar on the Guindy-Porur Trunk Road.

A spark in the AC fitted in their bedroom resulted in the compressor blowing up. The injured couple could not escape as smoke filled the room. Their two sons were sleeping unawares in another bedroom.

Luckily, neighbours alerted by the sound of the blast rushed to the Menons’ home and while they were struggling to force open the doors, the police night patrol turned up and helped. The police also summoned fire tenders from the Virugambakkam station and brought the situation under control.

The rescued couple was rushed to Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Bindhu is reported to have sustained 40 per cent burns while Prakash Menon suffered 18 per cent burns. Their children escaped unhurt as the fire was put out before it spread further. Forensic experts are investigating the cause of the blast.

On June 27, TV journalist V Prasanna, his wife Archana and mother Revathi suffocated to death in dense smoke as fire from their fridge spread to flammable plastic in their home while they were asleep with windows closed and air-conditioners running.