Three members of a family died and one member was injured after the house they were residing in caught fire at Erumely on Friday. The deceased were identified as Sathyapalan, 53, his wife Seethamma, 50, and their daughter Anjali, 26, residents of Sreenipuram at Kanakappalam near Erumely.
The police said the fire broke out around 1 p.m. Seethamma died on the spot of burns. Sathyapalan and Anjali, who sustained serious injuries, were rushed to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital (MCH), but they died by evening.
Sathyapalan’s son Unnikuttan, aged 22, was also injured in the fire and is under treatment at the MCH. Preliminary reports suggested that earlier in the day, a young man, along with his friends, had come to the house and expressed his wish to marry Anjali.
Following their departure, a heated argument ensued, leading to the outbreak of the fire. Neighbours attempted to douse the fire by pouring water, but to no avail. The front door locked from the inside and neighbours broke it open. At first, Anjali and Unnikuttan were taken to the hospital, with Unnikuttan sustaining 20% burns. Sathyapalan and Seethamma were later found inside the house.
Anjali had returned from abroad just three days ago. The cause of the fire remains unclear.
Published – April 11, 2025 09:51 pm IST
