20160708 India 70-yr-old woman dies in fire accident
India Jul 07 2016 “Stores”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
70-yr-old woman dies in fire accident
Updated: 2016-07-08-07:39
A 70-year-old woman was burnt to death after a fire broke out at a scrap shop at Vellakoil in Tirupur district on Thursday.
The woman is identified as K Ponnammal, she stayed at a nearby temple. She begged for a living and ate free lunch provided by the temple.
Police said she often fought with her son and daughter-in-law. After one such fight, she left home in Pullasellipalayam, 7kms away from Vellakoil. Sometimes, she would stay at her brother’s home that is 3kms from the temple. Passersby told police that Ponnammal would often sleep on the portico of the scrap shop.
Police have ruled out electrical short circuit as the reason for the death as the shop was only 400sqft. “We suspect either a mosquito coil or a cigarette butt would have triggered fire at the shop as several bottles of alcohol were also found. On Wednesday at 10pm, Ponnammal must have come and slept outside the shop after it was closed. At around 4 am, when some labourers left for work, they saw the fire and informed the fire and rescue services department,” sub inspector Karunakaran of Vellakoil police station said.
Passerby told police that they heard the sound of bottles bursting. The police reached the spot at 4.15 am. After the fire was put out, some passersby informed them that an old woman would often sleep outside the shop.
Police looked for her body and found it between few sacks. They suspected that the fire must have broken out between 12 and 1 pm.
Later, Ponnammal’s family was informed about the incident. Her body was handed over to her son K Mohan after the post mortem. Police officials said the shop belongs to Mariammal from Dindigul. Police estimated that property worth 10, 000 was gutted in fire.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/70-yr-old-woman-dies-in-fire-accident/articleshow/53107955.cms