A Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable died of injuries he suffered due to a fire from an air-conditioner unit. His wife, who also sustained burns while trying to save her husband, died on Monday.

The police said the fire broke out at Vakkanampatti near Jolarpet in Tirupattur district when S. Shanmugam, 42, RPF constable at Chengelpet sub-division, was asleep in the bedroom. In the early hours on Sunday, Vetriselvi took her daughter to rest room while Shanmugam was asleep inside the bedroom. Suddenly, a blast was heard from the bedroom. Vetriselvi, leaving her daughter at a safe distance, rushed to the room which was on fire. Seeing her husband caught in the fire, she entered the room and tried to save him, the police source said.

Meanwhile, neighbours hearing the noise rushed to the house and doused the fire.

The couple sustained burns, the police source said.

The police, on information, rushed to the spot. Shanmugan and Vetriselvi were admitted to Tirupattur government hospital with 80% burns and then referred to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai, where Shanmugam died on Sunday while Vetriselvi breathed her last on Monday.

Investigation revealed that the airconditioner had exploded and it was caused by electric short-circuit.