Man Dead In Air Conditioner Explosion At His House

A man has been reported dead after an air conditioner exploded in his house in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India on Sunday, July 31.

The deceased, identified as 28-year-old P Shyam, who ran a milk shop in the area, resided on the ground floor of his family's residence when the air conditioner exploded inside the residence. Shyam had been staying alone on the ground floor of their house as his wife Dhanalakshmi, 24, had gone to her mother’s residence a few days before the incident. Meanwhile, Shyam's father Prabhakar was staying on the second floor of the house.

On Sunday, July 31, at around 8 p.m., Prabhakar heard a loud blast coming from the ground floor. When Prabhakar and Shyam's brother rushed down to Shyam's room, they saw that the ground floor was filled with smoke, and Shyam's room was on fire. After several attempts, Prabhakar managed to break open the door that was locked from the inside. They later found Shyam dead inside the burning room, the Times Of India reported.

Seeing the house on fire, the family members informed the local police station as well as the fire and rescue service. Firefighters from Madhavaram and Sembium stations immediately rushed to the spot to douse the fire. After the blaze was extinguished, the charred remains of Shyam were recovered and sent to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.

According to a police officer from the Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Police Station, the air conditioner explosion could have resulted from a short circuit. However, the officer explained that they are conducting further investigations into the matter to confirm the cause behind the fire, Indian Express reported.

Meanwhile, the forensic team collected samples from the house, and officials from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) examined the electronic items inside the residence.

“The incident happened around 8 p.m., Shyam’s father told us that he last saw his son around 4 p.m. The deceased had consumed alcohol yesterday, we are investigating the case from all aspects. A case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC,” the officer added.