Coimbatore, July 16: In a tragic incident in Coimbatore on July 16, three truck drivers were burned alive, and three others sustained severe injuries while transferring petrol from a 10-litre can to a 1-litre can. The injured were swiftly transported to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment, where they are reported to have suffered burn injuries ranging from 20 to 80 percent.

According to a report from the Times of India, six truck drivers—Muthukumar, Dinesh, Veeramani, Chinna Karuppu, Manoj, and Pandeeswaran—from Theri district were employed as petrol truck drivers. They resided in a rental house in Sulur with Azaguraja, also a petrol truck driver. Azaguraja stands accused in a fatal accident at Ravathur Pirivu in Coimbatore city on Monday, July 15. He was subsequently arrested and released on bail later that night, returning to his residence. Tamil Nadu Shocker: Birthday Boy Suffers Burns As Party Foam Sprayed on Him Catches Fire During Celebration in Coimbatore.

According to the police, Azaguraja and the six other drivers were drinking alcohol, and Pandeeswaran was preparing dinner around midnight on Tuesday. A fire erupted when one of them attempted to transfer petrol from a 10-liter can to a 1-liter can, engulfing the room within minutes. Azaguraja, Muthukumar, and Chinna Karuppu tragically died in the blaze, while the others sustained severe burns. Tamil Nadu Fire Video: Blaze Erupts at Cotton Godown in Coimbatore's Edayarpalayam, Firefighters Rush to Scene.

The locals rushed to the spot and alerted the Sulur police. Firefighters from Sulur Fire Station arrived at the scene. Injured individuals were taken to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were sent to Government Medical College and ESI Hospital for postmortem. Pandeeswaran, one of the injured, told a judicial magistrate at the hospital that they were drinking alcohol when one person was cooking on a gas stove. One of the deceased was attempting to transfer petrol from a 10-litre can to a one-litre can for a motorcycle nearby, leading to the fire outbreak.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2024 01:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).