Woman dies as immersion heater explodes

Times News NetworkChennai: A 22-year-old woman died after an immersion water heater exploded in a bathroom at Kumarakuppam near Tiruttani on Saturday morning.The deceased was identified as Uma Maheswari, wife of Sudhakar, 27. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old son.According to police, 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.She was immediately taken to the Tiruttani Government Hospital for first aid. Later, she was shifted to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for advanced treatment, where she succumbed to her injuries.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 said 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. His family members told police that the water heater had developed fault in the recent days.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.