Five Charred To Death After Car Catches Fire

Deceased victims were identified as a couple and their three daughters from Khairagarh.The accident took place near Singarpur in Rajnandgaon drict.Police have shifted the bodies to the hospital for autopsy.

Rajnandgaon: Five members of the same family including four women were burnt alive in a fire that apparently broke out in their car after an accident in Rajnandgaon drict in the wee hours on Friday. Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said that the incident took place on Rajnandgaon-Khairagarh road near Singarpur village about 85 km west of Raipur.

Preliminary investigations revealed the Alto car suddenly lost its balance and rammed onto a bridge and overturned, before catching fire. The vehicle was engulfed in flames within seconds giving no time for the passengers to escape, an onlooker informed the police. Family of Subhash Kochar from Khairagarh including a couple and three daughters aged between 20and 25 years, were charred to death on the spot.

Police said that they were returning from a wedding function from neighbouring Balod when they met an accident between 1-1.30 am. A police team rushed to the spot and the region was cordoned off after shifting the bodies for autopsy. A team of forensic experts are on the spot for investigation. The deceased were identified as Subhash Kochar, his wife Kanti, and their daughters Bhavna, Vriddhi and Pooja. Kochar was a renowned businessman of Khairagarh.

Chief Miner Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. Deadly road accidents caused overloading, bad road conditions and reckless driving are common in India. Around 150,000 people are killed every year in around half a million road accidents across India, officials said. India’s federal miner for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari last year said the government has set a target to reduce road accident deaths 50 per cent 2024.