Three die in gas cylinder blast in TN

Chennai: Two women and an eight-year-old boy were killed and four others injured in a wall collapse after a cooking gas cylinder exploded in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district on Sunday, police said.

According to police, the cooking gas cylinder belonged to Mukhtabai and it was leaking. Without realising the leakage, she lit the stove leading to the cylinder explosion.

Owing to the impact of the explosion, one wall fell on her tenants - Janakiraman and his family and another wall fell on another neighbour.

According to police, Janakiraman's wife Kamakshi, son Hemanth and Chandrammal, the other neighbour of Mukthabai, died as they were caught under the debris.

On the other hand, Janakiraman suffered injuries while his son Suresh suffered a fracture.

Meanwhile, Mukthabai and her daughter Meera suffered severe burn injuries.

Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, condoling the deaths, announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the dead, Rs 1 lakh for those who sustained severe injuries and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered simple injuries.