A tragic incident occurred early Wednesday morning on the set of actor S J Suryah's upcoming film 'Killer' at Binny Mills in Perambur, Chennai, where a carbon dioxide cylinder explosion resulted in the death of a 25-year-old crew member and injuries to three others.
Details of the Incident
The blast took place around 5:30 am while the film crew was preparing a special-effects sequence for a fight scene. According to police, excessive pressure built up during a gas transfer between CO₂ cylinders, which were intended to simulate a blast effect, triggering the explosion. Fortunately, there was no fire.
The deceased, identified as Madhan, 25, a resident of Erikarai in Maduravoyal, succumbed to multiple injuries at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. He suffered fractures to his right hand and ankle. Investigators revealed that Madhan was in close proximity to the blast and fell onto mangled iron rods and metal sheets lying nearby. His family stated that he had been working on film sets handling gas cylinders and special-effects operations for the past two years.
Injured Workers and Arrests
The three injured workers—R Dinakaran, 24, P Surya, 23, and S Sakthivel, 27—were also treated at the same hospital for injuries to their wrist, leg, and knee, respectively. Around ten workers had been involved in preparing the blast sequence for three days prior to the accident.
The Otteri police arrested production manager Ram, 48, and special effects manager Arumugam, 37, on charges of causing death by negligence. Both were produced before a magistrate and released after furnishing an undertaking.
Investigation and Family Concerns
Madhan's body was sent for postmortem examination. His family questioned the safety measures in place on the set, expressing concerns about the lack of adequate protective equipment. Police stated that the investigation would examine whether proper safety protocols and protective gear had been provided to the workers.
About the Author
A Selvaraj, widely known as Crime Selvaraj, is a veteran journalist with over 31 years of experience in crime reporting across leading Tamil and English newspapers. He has covered historic events, including the deaths of former Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi, the IPL betting scam, and the Kanchi Seer Sankararaman murder case. A familiar face in the digital space, he has given more than 500 interviews across 30 YouTube channels, with millions of views on social media. He has also featured in international documentaries on Netflix and Bloomberg, speaking on high-profile cases such as idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor and conman Sukesh Chandrasekar. Beyond journalism, he has acted in three films including the Tamil movie DNA, trained over 200 budding journalists, directed short films, and authored the English crime-poetry collection Chilled Love. His contributions have earned him the TOI Scribe Award and the Humanitarian Award from former Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan.
