Tirunelveli Collectorate ready to tackle fire emergencies

The incident has sent shock waves not only to the common man but also the officials. Therefore, the government is zeroing on a number of preventive measures to act swiftly during such incidents in the future. 

Immediately after the incident, policemen were placed at all the entry points in Tirunelveli Collectorate so that they could monitor the people entering the Collectorate campus. Four steel buckets with sand has also been placed near the fire engine as a precautionary measure.

Jailed maoists raised slogans against the government at the premises of a local court on Wednesday in Coimbatore for alleged failure to control usury in the state and vowed to fight against the practice. Maoists Roopesh, Shyna, Anup, Veeramani and Kannan were brought to the court on Wednesday for extension of their custody. They raised slogans as they neared the court complex, said police.

With the death of Esakimuthu, head of the family, which committed self-immolation at the Tirunelveli Collectorate, on Wednesday, the death toll has risen to 4. He succumbed to burns at the Palayamkottai GH, on Wednesday. 

On Monday, Esakimuthu along with his wife Subbulakshmi, and their two daughters had set themselves ablaze reportedly due to usury. However as they had sustained more than 80 per cent burns, Subbulakshmi and her daughters died on the same day. However, Esakimuthu was battling for life. 

On Wednesday, at 12.30 pm, he developed breathing problems and died at 1.20 pm. Following his death, he was cremated at Sindupoonthurai in Tirunelveli. Nandini, a law college student, tried to stage a protest demanding the suspension of Tirunelveli Collector, Sandeep Nanduri, for failing to take action on the petitions about usury from Esakimuthu.