Three members of a family, including a three-year-old child, were charred to death after their car veered off the road and erupted into flames after a crash on the Baihar-Malajkhand road in Balaghat late on Saturday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Nagarchi Kelkar (65), his daughter-in-law Savita (28), and his grandson Abhi (3).
Nagarchi’s wife, Nanibai (60), their son, Sitam Kelkar (30), and granddaughter, Poorvi (8), survived the accident. Their condition is serious, said Balaghat additional superintendent of police (Addl SP) Adarshkant Shukla.
Police said the family was returning to Malajkhand in their car around 11:30pm when the driver lost control of the vehicle near Keolari, causing it to veer off the road and crash. The impact triggered a massive fire that gutted the car within minutes.
“The fire spread so rapidly that the occupants had little chance to escape. Passersby showed remarkable courage, smashing the windows to pull out Poorvi, Sitam, and Nanibai. However, Nagarchi, Savita, and Abhi were trapped in the rear and could not be saved,” said Shukla.
Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot, but the vehicle was already reduced to ashes. The three survivors were rushed to a hospital in the adjacent district of Gondia, Maharashtra, where their condition remains critical.
{{/usCountry}}Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot, but the vehicle was already reduced to ashes. The three survivors were rushed to a hospital in the adjacent district of Gondia, Maharashtra, where their condition remains critical.
{{/usCountry}}The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Baihar Hospital for post-mortem.