Two cousins killed as SUV catches fire after being hit by truck in West Delhi

Police said the car was apparently going at a very high speed and the impact of the hit was such that it went under the truck.

Two cousins in their 20s were charred to death after the white Fortuner they were travelling in collided with a truck from behind in West Delhi’s Rani Bagh early Thursday, police said, adding that the truck driver has been arrested.

As soon as it hit the truck, the car caught fire, and because it was trapped under the vehicle, the victims had no chance to escape.

A senior police officer identified the victims as Henry (single name), 20, a resident of Meera Bagh, and his cousin Dipanshu Chandela, 21, of Paschim Vihar.

A police officer said the control room received a call at 3.10am alerting them about the accident, after which a team reached the spot and found the car “almost entirely under the truck”.

“It appeared that the car was going at a very high speed and the impact of the hit was such that it went under the truck,” the officer said.

As soon as it hit the truck, the car caught fire, and because it was trapped under the vehicle, the victims had no chance to escape. “However, we strongly suspect that the impact of the hit may have led to the instant death of the two men even before the vehicle caught fire,” the officer added.

The bodies were recovered and sent for autopsy. It is yet to be established who was driving the vehicle, police said.

Investigators said a preliminary probe suggests that after the car went under the truck, the fuel tube got damaged, triggering the fire. “A mechanical inspection was conducted and the report is awaited,” the officer said.

Families told police that the cousins had left home around 2.30am and the accident occurred around 3am, with authorities being informed at 3.10am. The truck driver, identified as Digambar, was apprehended on the spot and later arrested for rash driving and causing death by negligence.

The officer said Henry was pursuing a BBA in Pune and was visiting family for Diwali. “His older brother died a few years ago. Henry leaves behind his parents and two sisters,” he said, adding that Henry’s father runs a mobile tower installation business.

Chandela, pursuing a BBA at a private college in Rohini, is survived by his parents and a sister. His father is a property dealer.

Police said the postmortem has been conducted and the bodies handed over to the families. Investigations are ongoing.