Elderly woman dies after spark from cracker burns hut in Chennai

CHENNAI: In a case of fire accident due to Deepavali crackers, a 65-year-old woman died of burn injuries in Thiruvottiyur after sparks from a firecracker fell on her hut on Sunday. The woman, identified as Mallika succumbed to her injuries at the government hospital a day later.

Police investigations revealed that the woman was living in a makeshift hut on the first floor of a house in Raja Shanmugam Nagar in Thiruvottiyur.

On Deepavali eve, people in her neighbourhood were bursting crackers. Police are investigating whether the spark was from a ‘rocket’ cracker, which fell on the thatched roof of the hut. On hearing the woman’s screams, the house owner who lives in the ground floor rushed and with the help of neighbours, managed to secure the elderly woman out of the hut.

Police said that the house owner, Sekar, too suffered mild burn injuries. Mallika was moved to a private hospital nearby and then shifted to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Police secured her body and sent it for autopsy.

Police investigations revealed that the elderly woman was living alone after the death of her husband and her son.