Chennai: Four persons – three women and a child – died due to suffocation after a fire broke out in an apartment complex at Vadapalani in Chennai. Five persons suffered burn injuries.

According to police, fire broke out around 4 a.m. at the ground floor of the building. Thick fumes entered the houses and the victims were suffocated while they were sleeping. The deceased have been identified as Meenakshi (60), Selvi (38), Shalini (20) and Sanjay (3).

More than 20 two-wheelers that were parked in the ground floor were totally damaged in the fire.

Chennai Collector V. Anbuselvan, who visited the spot, said the injured have been admitted to Kilpauk Government Hospital and the condition of one of them was serious. The police were investigating the cause of the fire, he added.

Forensic science experts too inspected the accident site.

Initial investigation suggest electrical short circuit as the cause behind the fire.