A 22-year-old woman tragically lost her life after an immersion water heater exploded in her bathroom at Kumarakuppam, near Tiruttani, on Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 7:00 AM local time.
Victim Identified
The deceased has been identified as Uma Maheswari, wife of Sudhakar, 27. The couple had a one-and-a-half-year-old son. According to police reports, Uma Maheswari had entered the bathroom when a loud explosion was heard from inside. Family members rushed to the spot and found her engulfed in flames.
Medical Response
She was immediately taken to the Tiruttani Government Hospital for first aid. Due to the severity of her burns, she was later shifted to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for advanced treatment, where she unfortunately succumbed to her injuries.
Preliminary Investigation
Preliminary investigations revealed that an electrical leakage in the heater may have caused the explosion. A kerosene can kept near the water heater reportedly caught fire, and the flames later engulfed the woman. Police stated that Sudhakar had left home after asking his wife to get ready to attend a temple festival and had gone to a nearby shop to make purchases. Family members told police that the water heater had developed a fault in recent days.
Complaint and Inquiry
However, the victim’s father, Palani, lodged a complaint at the Tiruttani police station expressing suspicion over his daughter’s death and sought a detailed investigation. Police have registered a case and are conducting further inquiries into the incident. A Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) is also probing the matter.
Authorities urge the public to ensure regular maintenance of electrical appliances and avoid storing flammable materials near heaters to prevent such tragedies.
