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Co-driver killed as truck ferrying biscuits to Leh catches fire in Kathua
The Leh bound truck caught fire after it hit a parked truck on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Kathua district around 2am on Sunday
A co-driver of a truck ferrying biscuits and confectionery to Leh was charred to death after the vehicle he was travelling in caught fire at Rajbagh on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Kathua district late on Sunday, police said.
The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained.
“The truck ferrying biscuits and wafers besides confectionary to Leh, hit a parked truck on the highway at Rajbagh around 1.30 or 2am. It appears the driver might have slept causing the accident,” said Kathua senior superintendent of police (SSP), RC Kotwal.
“As soon as the Leh bound truck hit the parked truck, the former caught fire. While the driver jumped out of the truck and fled from the spot, his co-driver got stuck in the cabin. A fire that erupted and quickly engulfed the cabin burnt the co-driver before he could rescue himself,” said the SSP.
A fire tender reached the spot and controlled the fire, but it was too late to save the man, he said, adding a detailed investigation is being conducted.
“The truck originated from Sonepat. After the mishap, we contacted the owners and informed them about the incident. The transport company owners told us that since it was a long drive to Leh from Sonepat, they had sent two drivers to drive the vehicle in shifts,” said Rajbagh station house officer (SHO), inspector Amit Sangra.
They will inform us about the identity of the two drivers, he added.
Sangra said that a case under Section 279 (rash driving)and 304-A (causing death by negligence) was registered against the driver, who is on the run after the mishap.
