Man charred to death inside car in North Delhi, one injured

The taxi was on a booking, however, it was not yet clear if the cab was going to pick a customer or returning after a drop.

A 40-year-old cab driver was charred to death while his friend suffered serious burn injuries after their Maruti Ertiga taxi hit a concrete barrier and caught fire on the Urban Extension Road (UER)-II near Narela in north Delhi early on Sunday.

Burnt remains of the Ertiga taxi after the accident. (HT Photo)

According to police, the deceased was identified as Vipender and the injured Jagbir, both go by single name and residents of Haryana’s Panipat. Jagbir, 40, is currently critical and undergoing treatment at Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra (SRHC) hospital.

Police said a preliminary probe revealed that the taxi was on a booking, however, it was not yet clear if the cab was going to pick a customer or returning after a drop.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Hareshwar V Swami said the Narela Industrial Area police station received information about a crash at Jhanda Chowk, near Holambi Khurd village at around 2am on Sunday. When the team reached the spot, they found the charred body of a man in the driver’s seat.

“Another person with burns was found in the front passenger’s seat. Both were rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BHRM) hospital, where Vipender was declared dead. Jagbir was later shifted to SRHC hospital for better medical attention,” said a senior police officer.

DCP Swami said the vehicle had Haryana’s registration number. Families of both the victims were informed about the accident. Vipender’s body has been preserved at the BJRM hospital’s mortuary for autopsy.

Though the exact cause of fire was not ascertained till Sunday evening, police officers suspected that the four-wheeler could be moving at a high speed and its driver could have failed to see the jersey barriers installed on the UER-II to stop movement of vehicles.

The extension road is yet to be inaugurated and made operational for the public.

“The UER-II is not operational as the construction work is still on. However, some people are still using it as a thoroughfare to reach their destinations quickly and avoid traffic jams on the usual routes. The authorities have installed jersey barriers on multiple locations on the UER-II to stop the unauthorised movement of vehicles. Prime facie, it appears the Ertiga taxi driver either dozed off or he failed to see the barriers. As a result, the vehicle rammed the concrete barrier and caught fire,” another police officer said.