THOOTHUKUDI: A 27-year-old mechanic whose marriage had been recently arranged was charred to death in a fire that broke out at a matchstick godown near Nalatinputhur in Thoothukudi district on Monday morning.
The deceased was identified as Karthik (27) of Vijayapuri. Police said he was loading matchsticks from a vehicle into the godown when the fire broke out around 8.30 am.
Two workers — Ganesan (47) of Duraichamipuram and Sudalai Muthu (42) of Periyanayakkanpatti in Sivakasi — sustained injuries in the incident. They were rescued by fire and rescue services personnel and admitted to the Kovilpatti Government Hospital. After first aid, they were referred to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment.
The fire occurred at a match factory named Balavignesh, owned by Manikandan (31), son of Murugan, at Pandavarmangalam near Kovilpatti on the Pasuvanthanai road. A matchstick storage godown belonging to the factory is located opposite the unit.
On receiving information, personnel from the Kovilpatti fire and rescue services rushed to the spot with three fire tenders and brought the blaze under control.
The godown was completely damaged in the fire. A vehicle parked in front of the godown was also gutted.
Nalatinputhur police have registered a case, and an investigation is under way.