A man was found dead along with his wife, burnt to death in their rented house in Puliyanam near Angamaly in a suspected suicide on Friday (September 27, 2024) midnight.
The deceased have been identified as Sanal Sasikumar (39) and Sumi Sanal (37). Their two children aged 11 and 4 were also burnt. The seriously injured young child was first rushed to Little Flower Hospital in Angamaly and from there to Ernakulam Medical Centre, Palarivattom.
“The child was brought here this morning with 100% burns and has been put on ventilators at the Burns Intensive Care Unit. He continues to criticize,” said hospital sources. The older boy escaped with minor burns on his hand.
The police found a letter, possibly written by the wife, from the house indicating that there were financial problems in the family.
According to the Angamaly fire brigade, they received information about the leakage of the gas cylinder which led to the fire. “Since this house was in an area that is not easy to enter, it took us some time to get there. At that time, the children were rescued and rushed to the hospital by local people. But the fire was still going on and we extinguished it by pumping water using the hose from the house next door. We also safely dismantled the cylinder,” said TV Vishwas, fire safety officer.
Nithin Siju, a member of ward 16 in Parakkadavu panchayat, said the couple had a citizen’s help center in Thuravur and had little contact with people in the neighbourhood.
The screaming of children and the burning fire brought the neighbors into the house around 11:15 at night. “The door was locked from the inside and we had to break it open. One of those who gathered entered the house and rescued the children,” said Siju, who is a neighbor, and the children were rushed to the hospital in his car.
He said that this family has been living there for almost ten years but had no contact with others. “They sit alone as they leave in the morning to go to their center and come back only in the evening,” said Siju.
Those who are depressed or have suicidal tendencies can seek help and counseling by calling 0484-2540530
Published – September 28, 2024 10:22 am IST