The couple and the child died after they inhaled gas which leaked from a malfunctioning air conditioner, police said. (Representational Image)

Chennai: Three of a family, including an eight-year-old boy, died on Monday night after they inhaled gas which leaked from a malfunctioning air conditioner, police said Tuesday.

They said the 35-year-old man, his wife and son were residents of Thiruvalluvar Nagar at Koyambedu in the city.

Neighbours grew suspicious as the family did not open the door for a long time on Tuesday and alerted police, who later broke it open to find the three bodies.

Initial investigations revealed that the couple had turned on the inverter on Monday night as there was a power cut in the area, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

Power supply was restored around midnight, but the couple and the child died after they inhaled gas which leaked from a malfunctioning air conditioner, he said.