Man charred to death as car catches fire in Faridabad; CNG leak suspected

Police said the car was moving in the high-speed lane when the cabin suddenly started filling with dense black smoke. The man attempted to rush out but was trapped as the doors were locked.

A 27-year-old man was charred to death after getting trapped inside his moving car that suddenly caught fire at Sector 84 in Faridabad on Sunday evening, police said on Monday.

The man suffocated and was charred to death as the fire spread quickly inside the closed cabin and engulfed the car within a few seconds.

The deceased was identified as Ajay Kumar, a cab owner and resident of Bhupani, Faridabad, officers said. The incident took place between 4pm and 4.15pm near the entrance of the Pranayam society while Kumar was driving from his home towards Faridpur, they added.

According to Inspector Arvind Kumar, station house officer of BPTP police station, the car, Hyundai Aura,was moving in the high-speed lane when the cabin suddenly started filling with dense black smoke. “He attempted to rush out but was trapped as the doors were locked. He suffocated and was then charred to death as the fire spread quickly inside the closed cabin and engulfed the car within a few seconds. No one could go near it to attempt to open the doors to pull him out due to the flames,” the inspector said.

Police said alerts were received by the control room and the fire department, following which three fire tenders were dispatched to the site. The tenders managed to douse the flames, but Kumar’s body was completely charred, along with the car.

After preliminary investigation, police suspect that a CNG leak, either in the engine compartment or the cylinder valve in the rear boot, triggered the fire. “The car was hardly three years old and had a company-fitted CNG tank in which these kinds of incidents don’t take place,” the SHO added.

As of now, it is unclear whether the car underwent mandatory CNG tank inspection at the three-year mark, officers said.

Police said Kumar’s father, Rajesh Kumar, has ruled out foul play. Based on his statement, an inquiry under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was conducted at the BPTP police station. The remains were handed over to the family after an autopsy on Monday, officials said.