Mon May 12 08:02:52 UTC 2025: ## Chennai Couple Perishes in House Fire
**CHENNAI, May 12, 2025** – A devastating house fire in Valasaravakkam, Chennai, claimed the lives of a 74-year-old lawyer, Natrajan, and his 68-year-old bedridden wife, Thangam, on Sunday afternoon. Police attributed the blaze to an electrical overload, which rapidly spread due to the presence of wood paneling in the house.
The fire started around 1:30 p.m. in a ground floor room, quickly engulfing the house and filling it with thick smoke. Their son, Sriram, his wife, and daughter were out at the time, leaving Natrajan, Thangam, their 17-year-old son Shravan, and Thangam’s medical assistant, Saraswathi, at home. Saraswathi managed to alert Sriram by phone and escape with Shravan, but Natrajan and Thangam were trapped and died at the scene. Saraswathi sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel from five stations extinguished the blaze and recovered the couple’s bodies. Valasaravakkam police have launched an investigation into the incident.
First Piper 