Refrigerator blast kills policeman, woman in Pollachi

COIMBATORE: A police inspector from Chennai and a woman were charred to death in a suspected refrigerator blast in Pollachi near Coimbatore on Thursday.

According to police, Sabarinath, 42, a native of Udumalpet in Tirupur was working as crime branch inspector in Ayanavaram police station in Chennai and owns a house at Nallur near Pollachi.

The deceased woman Shanthi, 37, a divorcee resides on rent along with her 15-year-old son in the ground floor of his house. Police sources said Sabarinath’s wife Rajarajeswari died of ailment two years ago and his son was staying in the house of a relative in Udumalpet. Sabarinath had come to his house in Pollachi on March 7.

“Around 10.30am, the neighbours heard a loud noise and rushed to find the doors of the house on the first floor locked inside. On entering by breaking open the doors, they were shocked to find the charred bodies of the inspector and the woman in the kitchen,” police said.

Soon, the fire and rescue personnel arrived and doused the fire. The bodies of the deceased persons were sent for a post mortem at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the fire incident happened due to a short circuit, which in-turn triggered the blast of the refrigerator. The forensic experts have gathered evidence and further inquiries are on know if it was an accidental mishap or a suicide bid.