Raj: One-year-old girl burnt alive as car overturns, catches fire in Rajsamand

Locals said the fire spread so rapidly after the car overturned that none of the occupants got a chance to escape on their own.

A one-year-old girl was burnt alive after a speeding car turned turtle and caught fire in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district late Wednesday night. Her parents, elder sister and the driver sustained serious injuries and were rescued by passersby.

Representational image.

Amet police station in-charge Om Singh Chundawat said the family was returning to Railmagra (Rajsamand) after visiting the Khatu Shyam temple when the accident took place. Soon after the crash, the vehicle burst into flames within seconds, leaving the occupants trapped inside. Passersby rushed to the spot and managed to pull out the girl’s parents, elder sister and the driver from the burning car. However, the infant could not be rescued in time and was burnt alive.

The five occupants of the car have been identified as Vikas Jain (32), a resident of Railmagra, his wife Rajeshwari Jain, their daughters Dhanishtha (4) and Pranidhi (1), and the driver, Kalu Ram.

Locals said the fire spread so rapidly after the car overturned that none of the occupants got a chance to escape on their own. Rescuers struggled for nearly an hour to pull the family out of the wreckage that was up in flames. The infant had already succumbed to burn injuries by then.

All the injured were referred to the RK district hospital in Rajsamand. Rajeshwari Jain sustained a fracture in her leg, while Vikas Jain suffered a deep cut on his tongue. The condition of the driver and the four-year-old girl remains critical.

Vikas Jain works as a clerk at a government school in Kuraj village of Rajsamand district.