The house in Valasaravakkam where the fire broke out on Sunday
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

An electrical overload was the primary cause of the fire that broke out at a house in Valasaravakkam, Chennai, on Sunday afternoon (May 11, 2025), claiming the lives of an elderly lawyer and his bedridden wife, according to police sources.

The deceased were identified as Natrajan, 74, who was a lawyer, and his wife N. Thangam, 68. The couple lived in a two-storey bungalow with their son N. Sriram, 50, a chartered accountant, and his family.

On Sunday afternoon, Sriram, his wife, and daughter went out, while the couple’s son Shravan, 17, stayed home with his grandparents. Thangam’s medical assistant, Saraswathi, 45, was also home at the time.

At around 1.30 p.m., a fire broke out in one of the rooms on the ground floor, and the pooja room — where a lamp had been lit — allowed the fire, caused by an electrical overload, to escalate quickly. Since the room was heavily wood-panelled, the blaze intensified and spread rapidly.

It quickly engulfed other rooms of the house, and thick smoke filled the first floor, where the medical assistant, Saraswathi, was tending to Thangam, who was bedridden.

Saraswathi called Sriram over the phone and informed about him the fire. Subsequently, Saraswathi and Shravan managed to escape from the house, while Natrajan and his wife were caught inside and charred to death. Saraswathi also suffered injuries.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel, who rushed to the spot from five stations, put out the fire and retrieved the couple’s bodies. The injured was sent to a hospital.

The Valasaravakkam police have registered a case, and further investigation is under way.