Car catches fire on Gurgaon expressway, occupants escape unhurt
A Tata Indigo caught fire on the Delhi- Gurgaon expressway on Sunday night. The incident happened around 11:20 pm near Star Mall, Sector 30. Before the fire spread and flames engulfed the car, its occupants managed to escape unhurt.
A Tata Indigo caught fire on the Delhi- Gurgaon Expressway on Sunday night. The incident happened around 11:20 pm near Star Mall, Sector 30. Before the fire spread and flames engulfed the car, its occupants managed to escape unhurt, police said.
A Tata indigo caught fire on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Sunday. Police suspect a short circuit triggered the fire. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
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The car is registered in the name of Suresh Kumar. Vijay Pal, 30, an acquaintance of Suresh and a resident of DLF City Phase 2, was driving the car to drop off a friend at Sector 10 when he noticed flames from the bonnet. He immediately pulled over, got off the car and sent word to the fire brigade and police control room. His friend, too, escaped unhurt.
“We were driving on the expressway when I noticed smoke and flames coming out of the bonnet. I immediately pulled over on the left side of the highway. We opened the bonnet and saw flames coming out of the engine. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. I was lucky to have spotted the flames early or else we would have been charred to death,” Pal said.
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The car was gutted within 20 minutes, he said.
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The car was gutted within 20 minutes, he said.
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“As I stood there helplessly, some commuters gathered to make videos and click pictures of the car caught in flames,” Pal said.
“We sent a fire engine to the spot after getting word on the incident. The fire was doused within 15 minutes. The occupants escaped unhurt,” a fire officer in Sector 20 said.
The traffic on the expressway crawled for about 30 minutes after the incident. However, no major snarls were reported as police teams reached the spot and got the traffic on the move again.
In another incident at Sector 29, a mini truck caught fire. However, no one was injured.
Police have started an inquiry to know what caused the car to catch fire on the expressway. They suspect a short circuit triggered it.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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