Woman dies of suffocation after eight motorcycles catch fire in Salem building

SALEM: An 80-year-old woman died of suffocation after a fire broke out in the parking lot of a building at Maravaneri in Salem in the early hours of Monday. The fire destroyed eight motorcycles.
The deceased has been identified as S Dhanam of Maravaneri.
Eight families live in the two-storey building owned by Abdul Rahman. "A motorcycle caught fire around 1am. It spread to other motorcycles," said P Narayanan, a resident.
On being alerted, Hasthampatty police and firefighters at Shevapet fire service station reached the spot and put out the fire in an hour.

The smoke from the fire entered the rooms in the building. "Dhanam and her son, S Kannan, 55, who were staying on the first floor, experienced severe breathing difficulties," said deputy commissioner (DC) of Salem city police S Brinda. They were rushed to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital where Dhanam died around 4 pm. Kannan was said to be stable.
The DC said the cause of the fire was not ascertained yet. A case was registered.