Teen dies after his bed catches fire

Coimbatore: An 18-year-old college student succumbed to burn injuries at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital in the city on Saturday. He was admitted to the hospital on October 10 after his bed caught fire from a spark produced from his mobile phone that was connected to a charger.
The deceased, M Sivaram, 18, of Gandhi Nagar at Madukkarai, was studying first year BSc (information technology) in a private college in Kovaipudur.
Police said his family members heard his cry from his room in the early morning of October 10. They found his bed on fire and they recused him and admitted him to the hospital. His father P Mayilsamy, 57, also suffered injuries while trying to douse the fire.
Police said Sivaram, during his treatment, told his father that he placed his mobile phone connected to a charger on his bed. A sudden spark from the phone caused a fire and spread quickly around the bed. Sivaram was unable to escape and caught in the fire, a police officer said.
His father lodged a complaint with the Madukkarai police and said there was no foul play in his son’s death. Police registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC. Sivaram’s body was handed over to the family members on Saturday evening after postmortem.