Five of a family burnt alive as car catches fire on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Alwar
A family returning from the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage died after their CNG car caught fire in Rajasthan’s Alwar district; the driver survived with critical burn injuries
Five members of a family were charred to death, and only their bones were left when the car they were travelling in suddenly caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar district. The driver suffered grievous injuries in the accident.
Police on Thursday (April 30) said that the incident took place late at night near Maujpur on Wednesday when the deceased were returning from a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir.
Fire brought under control, car gutted
Speaking to reporters, Additional Superintendent of Police Priyanka Raghuvanshi said that upon being informed about the incident, fire tenders rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control within 15 minutes. However, she added that the car was destroyed in the fire.
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According to police, the deceased have been identified as Santosh, his wife Shashi, mother Parvati and daughters Raghani and Sakshi, all residents of Chainpura in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Short circuit suspected
As for the reason behind the fire, investigators suspect it was triggered by a short circuit. Elaborating further, Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Jindal said that since it was a CNG vehicle, the fire spread rapidly, leaving the passengers with no chance to escape.
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"Only skeletal remains were recovered from the vehicle, which have been preserved separately. DNA tests will be conducted to establish their identity," he said.
Driver escapes with severe burns
However, the driver of the car, somehow, managed to escape the burning vehicle and jumped out of it. But he suffered around 80 per cent burn injuries.
Police said that the driver was initially rushed to a nearby health centre and later referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment, officials said. Further investigation is underway.
Earlier incident on same expressway
A similar accident took place four months back on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in the Raini area of Alwar district in Rajasthan. The tragedy occurred when a pickup vehicle caught fire, resulting in three people being burned alive. All three died on the spot. Another person suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a medical facility in a critical condition.
(With agency inputs)