20200103 Cook dies in fire at Anna Nagar eatery
India Jan 03 2020 “Building” “Stores”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 1 to 9
Cook dies in fire at Anna Nagar eatery
Updated: 2020–01–04
CHENNAI: A 26-year-old cook who locked himself up in a bathroom to escape a fire at a poorly ventilated restaurant on Anna Nagar Third Avenue died of suffocation early on Friday.
Police said the deceased, identified as S Venit Sagayam, native of Tirunelveli, and three other staff usually stayed in the hotel as they had to wake up early to prepare the food. Around 3am on Friday, the security guard at an ATM kiosk near the restaurant called the fire services after he saw smoke billowing out of the building.
A fire rescue team from J J Nagar rushed to the spot but was unable to enter as the entire restaurant was engulfed in smoke. They were told that four people were trapped inside. The fire rescue personnel couldn’t locate the men at first. Then they heard murmurs from the toilet and broke in to find the four men crouched covering the mouths and noses in a bid to keep out the acrid smoke.
All four men were rushed to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital where Venit Sagayam died. Three others are still undergoing treatment and doctors said their condition was stable.
“The building does not have any ventilation on the sides. There is only ventilation behind the kitchen,” said a fire officer. “It is always risky to hide in a room during a fire accident,” he said. Smoke can do as much damage as flames.
The four restaurant employees thought the smoke would go out through the exhaust in the toilet. But the fan did not work as there was no power.
The Anna Nagar police registered a case of accidental fire. A detailed probe is on to find out the exact cause of fire. Preliminary inquiries showed that an electrical short circuit could have triggered the blaze.
Web Source: The times of India