Running car catches fire on Expressway in Rajasthan; 5 burnt alive

Jaipur: Five members of a family were burnt alive while the driver was seriously injured after a car caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said on Thursday, PTI reported.

The incident took place near Maujpur on Wednesday night when the victims were returning from a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir.

Additional Superintendent of Police Priyanka Raghuvanshi said fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control in 15 minutes, but by then the car was completely gutted.

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.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Jindal said a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. As it was a CNG vehicle, the fire spread fast, leaving the occupants with no time to escape.

"Only skeletal remains were recovered from the vehicle, which have been preserved separately. DNA tests will be conducted to establish their identity," he said.

The car driver, identified as Vinod Kumar Mehar, managed to jump out of the vehicle but sustained around 80 per cent burn injuries. He was initially taken to a nearby health centre and later referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment, officials said.

Further investigation is underway.

In another news, the death toll of

in the collision between a pick-up van and an SUV in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district has risen to 16, officials said on Thursday, according to PTI.

The van carrying labourers overturned and collided with a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) coming from the opposite direction near Chikliya crossing on the Indore-Ahmedabad National Highway on Wednesday night, they said.

Twelve fatalities were initially reported after the incident. Four more persons later succumbed to their injuries, taking the toll to 16, officials said.