30th May, 2012

Cars catching Fire while being driven or parked normally

Hi All,

This Sunday’s news had another instance of a man dying in his car in Delhi (India) when it caught fire and he was unable to exit because of jammed car doors. There have been several other news reports like this over the years, many of which I have found on the net and pasted below (87 of them !).

While I could not easily locate data for India, I read on the net that ‘Around two cars out every thousand registered in the UK catch fire each year.’ The figure for road accidents per 1000 registered cars in the UK is 5. So cars catching fire is not that unusual a phenomenon (just like road accidents are not). So we need to be better prepared for such a thing happening to us / around us at some point in our lives. The figures for India may be many times more.

I have NOT included below the many reports of cars catching fire AFTER an accident. What I have focused upon is sudden incidents of fire when you are driving along, unconcerned, and suddenly see smoke / fire emanating from a section of your car.

The purpose of this research was to get a reality check on my beliefs in this regard (probably yours are similar to mine) – I had thought such gruesome incidents – people burning in cars that self-combusted, happened once every 1-2 years.

Based on all the reading I have now done, I would think the National Capital Region, India, alone witnesses 50 or more such incidents a year of cars burning completely, and quite a few seem to involve fatalities / serious injury ! Although there are 13 incidents pasted below for Delhi for 2012 (that’s nearly 3 a month !), and 14 incidents for 2011, I was not trawling through the net (that is picking up all news) – I just picked up what caught my eye, so there are doubtless going to be more. A._______________________-

Man dies after getting trapped in burning carDwaipayan Ghosh, TNN | May 27, 2012, 02.21AM IST

NEW DELHI: A 23-year-old hardware professional, son of a retired Border Security Force officer, died after being burnt alive inside his Swift car on Saturday morning. The deceased, Ashish Rathi, was a resident ofDaulatabad village in Gurgaon. The incident took place around 9.30am near Barusarai area of Najafgarh, southwest Delhi. 

Rathi was brought to the Safdarjung Hospital with 95% burn injuries and was declared dead on arrival. While cops claim that it was an accident (on the basis of prima facie evidence), Ashish's father Sukhir Rathi has alleged foul play. 

According to Soni, the prime witness and the one who made the PCR call, he was walking down the fields on Saturday morning when he noticed fire emitting from the engine of a diesel-run white Swift car (HR 26AW 5784). 

"I heard shouts from the direction of a car and some locals rushed to help. But a man was trapped inside the burning car and he could not come out as the central locking system refused to give way. Police arrived within a few minutes, followed by a fire tender. But the man was charred beyond recognition by then,'' said Soni. 

The deceased had left his home around 8am. The fire activated the central-locking system in the car and therefore the car doors did not open, police said. "The entire car was burnt and we could hardly identify the deceased. The car-owner was traced by studying the chassis of the car. The car has been seized and it will be taken to the forensic lab in Rohini. The car manufacturer might also be asked to help us in the investigations,'' said an officer. 

Since Safdarjung Hospital was shut for the day, the family is yet to lay claim to the body. "The car was newly bought and there couldn't be any major problem with it,'' a family member told TOI. 

Delhi fire chief A K Sharma said, "There can be a number of reasons for the fire to have begun in the first place. We have collected whatever evidence we could and our forensic results will be crucial in this case.'' 

Earlier this year, a 52-year-old man died after his car caught fire in Delhi Cantonment area. Pawan Kumar Gupta was on his way to Rohini from IGI airport when the engine of his WagonR caught fire and he died after being locked inside the car, police said.

NEW DELHI, May 27, 2012 the hindu

Young man charred to death as car catches fire

STAFF REPORTERA 22-year-old was charred to death after his car caught fire under mysterious circumstances at Chhawla in South-West Delhi on Saturday.

Ashish, a resident of Daulatabad in neighbouring Gurgaon, was on his way home when the incident took place around 9.30 a.m.

JAMMED DOORS FOILED ESCAPE

“He was passing through Bado Sarai village when his car caught fire. He raised an alarm when he spotted fumes emanating from the vehicle's bonnet,” said a police officer. Ashish could not come out of the vehicle apparently because the doors got jammed.

Hearing his screams, a passerby tried to rescue him but the fire had engulfed the entire vehicle by then.

The passerby then called up the police, which alerted the Delhi Fire Service.

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Posted: Monday, May 28, 2012 10:37 pm | Updated: 11:29 pm, Mon May 28, 2012.By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 

LOWER SOUTHAMPTON — Firefighters fought a car fire Monday afternoon that tied up traffic near one of the busiest intersections in the township.About 3:30 p.m. Monday, a car traveling on Bristol Road apparently caught fire and pulled into an auto repair shop at the corner of Bristol Road and Bridgetown Pike, Lower Southampton fire Marshal Bill Oettinger said.The fire destroyed the car, but no one was injured and the garage building was not damaged, Oettinger said. 

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Car of mayor’s son catches fire in MedellinCebu Daily News7:07 am | Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

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A sports utility vehicle (SUV) owned by the son of Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa “Malou” Loot caught fire in barangay Don Virgilio Gonzales, Medellin town, northern Cebu.The Ford 150 with plate number MVL-08 was driven by Kerwin Arriesgado, 35. Arriesgado, his passengers Crecenciana Mainit, 45; a 2-year-old son of Cebu Provincial Board Member Sun Shimura; and PO3 Ryan Castro of the Daanbantayan police were unharmed.Mayor Loot said the vehicle, which was acquired by his son Louie last year, was headed to barangay Dayhagon to bring her 2-year-old grandson to a masseur when it caught fire around 7 a.m. yesterday.Arriesgado said that while they were traveling, the vehicle’s airbag suddenly popped out and the steering wheel locked up.Arriesgado said he parked at the road when he started to see smoke and they immediately got off.SFO3 Antonio Godinez of the Medellin fire station said they arrived at the fire scene at 7:10 a.m. and put out the fire five minutes later.Castro’s service firearm, an M4 assault rifle which was left inside the vehicle, was burned.Police said an investigation is in progress to determine what caused the car to catch fire.____________________________

Losses worth Rs 6L in fire at car showroomTNN May 18, 2012, 04.57AM IST

NASHIK: A fire broke out at a car showroom on Wednesday, resulting in losses worth nearly Rs 4 lakh. The fire occurred at the basement of a car showroom belonging to vehicle manufacturer Skoda in Lekha Nagar, Cidco, along the Mumbai-Agra highway, around 9.30pm on Wednesday.Six fire tenders were pressed into service to bring the fire under control as early as possible considering that there were cars on the upper floor of the showroom, and just beside the showroom is a petrol pump. Initial reports have estimated losses to the tune of Rs 4 lakh. A short circuit in the battery of a car in the godown was said to be cause of the fire.

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Car catches fire

Posted On Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 02:27:02 AM

An LPG-run car caught fire near Delite circle on Ashram Road on 9.15 pm. A short-circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire which engulfed the car. Two people, who were in the car, however, escaped unhurt.__________________________

TRIBUNE, MAY 16, 2012

CAR CATCHES FIRE AT PETROL STATION: A major accident was averted in Haldwani on Monday when a car standing at a petrol station for refueling caught fire. The incident took place on the Rampur road. Petrol station employees managed to push the car away from the pump onto the main road and doused the fire. Fire brigade personnel also reached the spot.

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2 boys die as car catches fireTNN May 15, 2012, 10.29AM IST

GARHWA: In a shocking incident, two young boys were burnt alive when an old car in which they were playing suddenly caught fire at Belchampa village located eight km from the district headquarters on the Garhwa-Rehla road on Monday.

Sources said Kundan Kumar (5), son of one S Kumar, and Akash Kumar (4), son of one Shambhu Paswan, were burnt alive when an old parked Ambassador car in which they were playing fire engulfed the entire car. The incident occurred at 9am. Although passersby saw the burning car and rushed to douse the flame, it was too late to save the two boys, police said adding that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Police are investigating the incident. Garhwa SP Michael Raj S said a small quantity of petrol, left in the car, could have leaked tank and spark from a nearby house might have caused the fire._______________________________

Udupi: Omni Car Catches Fire, Cause Heavy Damage to House in Barkur

Published Date: 13 May, 2012 (10:19 PM)

Report by Michael RodriguesTeam Mangalorean Udupi

Udupi: A Maruti Omni car caught fire and was charred when its ignition was being switched on Sunday, May 13.

The mishap occurred in front of the house of Antamma Poojarti near Barkur fort. Deepak V Poojary was trying to put the ignition on and start the vehicle. A suspected gas leak caused a fire and spread to the entire car. Deepak jumped out to safety.

The fire spread to the nearby house. The roof, TV, fridge and fan have been damaged. The passers-by tried to control the fire by throwing sand on the flames and saved the lives of the inmates.

Barkur revenue inspector Cheluvaraju has assessed the loss to the house to be at Rs 3 lakh. The insurance firm has put the loss to the car as another Rs 3 lakh.

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Car Catches Fire In Front Of Sector 12 Petrol Pump In Faridabad Rajeev Vaid 9136150250 | Apr 30, 2012 | Comments 1

Faridabad: A Maruti Esteem car caught fire in front of Petrol Pump in Sector 12 in Faridabad today evening. The

fire was brought under control quickly but the car was charred and nothing much was left of it.

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बी�च सड़क पर धू-धू कर जल गई क�रPublished On: April 19, 2012 | Duration: 0 min, 37 sec

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/video-story/229783

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Lamborghini's Rs. 2 crore supercar bursts into flamesNDTV.com | Updated: April 16, 2012 12:29 IST

California: A car that makes you burn, got burnt itself. A $376,000 Lamborghini Aventador burst into flames on Highway 73 in California. The 'internet millionaire' behind the wheels was allegedly on a test drive when the supercar caught fire. Firefighters hosed it off but the melt down was worth a look-see. 

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Hyundai Accent Car Catches Fire In DelhiInderjeet [ Updated 15 Apr 2012, 08:57:46 ]

New Delhi, April 15: A Hyundai Accent car suddenly caught fire on the Ghazipur flyover in Delhi on Saturday evening. The car was being run on CNG kit, and there were four members of a family inside.All the four occupants came out of the vehicle as it caught fire. 

By the time, the firemen arrived, the car was reduced to a burnt shell._______________________________4th apr,12

_____________________Car caught fire Four youths have narrow escaped when their moving car suddenly caught the fire on the road in sector 23 on Friday. The Indigo car was completely damaged in the mishap and nobody was

hurt in the mishap.rBy Saurabh Prashar, Chandigarh59 days ago. ToI

__________________________ Skoda Rapid Catches Fire In

Delhi

Came across this in today's Indian Express, "Skoda Rapid catches fire at Deepali Chowk, Rani Bagh on Sunday." The owner had bought the car in February. He had gone to see a doctor and saw his car ablaze when he came back. The relevant link is as below:-

Delhi, 02 April, 2012 DigitalEdition

Skoda India claims Rapid that caught fire in Delhi, not due to manufacturing defectQUOTES FOR THE DAY, SKODA | BHARATHAUTOS | APRIL 16, 2012 AT 1:28 AM |

Recently we reported the incident of the Skoda Rapid sedan caught fire on the streets of Delhi, now after

investigating Skoda India has reportedly come out with a statement saying it was not the manufacturing defect

that was the cause of the accident. Skoda is reported to have come out with the statement after keeping mum on

the incident for a few days.

According to sources, the carmaker said that improper installation of aftermarket parts could be the possible

cause behind the fire. It added it is very common that Indian car owners install cheaper aftermarket parts such as

audio system or other settings. Furthermore, the risk of a fire is higher if it is fitted by an inexpert or by tampering

with the wiring resulting in short circuit.

Therefore, it is advised to fit only manufacturer approved products by experts at dealerships itself. The warranty

of the car could also be revoked if it is fitted with an after part that is not approved by the manufacturer.

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Car catches fire, occupants safeExpress news servicePosted: Mar 31, 2012 at 0357 hrs IST

Print  Email  To Editor  Post CommentsChandigarh Four occupants of a Honda City car (CH04-C-9602) had a narrow escape when the moving vehicle suddenly caught fire near Sector 23 post office. The incident happened on Friday morning when Akshay was driving the car. He was being accompanied by his three friends: Dhawan, Abhishek and Ankit.

The occupants, all residents of Sector 24, were going to a friend’s house in Sector 22.

When the car reached Sector 23 post office, smoke started emanating from the trunk of the car. Akshay then stopped the car and opened the car trunk to find out what was wrong. To his shock, the car had caught fire.

All the occupants got down and moved a safe distance from the car. Within minutes the whole car was destroyed. A tree was also damaged from the huge flames which came out from the car.

By the time fire tender reached the spot and controlled the fire, the car had been completely destroyed.

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Toyota Prius GT300 Race Car Catches Fire During Testing   Jason Siu  |  Mar 20, 2012, 5:01 PM

The ToyotaPrius GT300 race car debuted at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, looking ready to compete in the 2012 Super GT season. But things didn’t go as planned when the team took to testing its race car out at Okayama Circuit prior to the season opener.

We’re sure all the Toyota haters out there would find this the perfect time to make fun of the Prius for catching fire, but let’s keep in mind this is a complete race car and can hardly compare to what we see on the streets. So don’t expect any ChevroletVolt comparisons from us, especially since it’s already been revealed that the cause of the fire was from a faulty fuel line rather than any issues in the vehicle’s hybrid system.

Thankfully it appears that much of the damage is cosmetic and the driver was unharmed when leaked fuel caught onto the exhaust, igniting the fire.

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Car catches fire after being hit by truck in Ghazipur, three injuredEXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Posted: Friday, Mar 02, 2012 at 0104 hrs IST

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New Delhi: Three persons, trapped inside a car which caught fire after it was hit by a truck,

escaped death when a PCR van spotted them in the nick of time.

The incident was reported on the busy Ghazipur flyover on NH 24 early Thursday morning when

the three were travelling to Ghaziabad in their Maruti Eeco car.

Mumtaz Khan (22), Rahul Patil (23) and Israr (23), all of whom work with a cargo company, were

returning from the Indira Gandhi International Airport and were going to Kaushambi in Ghaziabad

to drop off some spare parts when the incident occurred.

“Just before the UP border on the highway, a speeding truck rammed into them from the rear.

The impact was such that the car got dragged for about 20 metres and it caught fire the moment

it stopped,” said a senior police officer.

Mumtaz, who was driving the car, said, “We slowed down just before the Ghazipur crossing and

a truck hit us from the rear. We had barely realised what had happened when the car burst into

flames. We tried opening the doors but they were jammed. We tried to break the windows but we

were unsuccessful. We thought this was it. But the police, with the help of some locals, came to

our rescue.”

Police said a passerby made the PCR call around 4.45 am, following which the fire officials were

informed.

The PCR van reached the spot within minutes. “It was difficult to rescue them as the car was in

flames and we were unable to break the glass at first. However, that was our only option. So, we

used an iron rod to smash the windows, police said.

All three victims were pulled out safely. They were taken to Lal Bahadur Shashtri Hospital in the

PCR van. Israr sustained 30 per cent burns while the other two were discharged after preliminary

treatment, police said.

Police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the fire, and the car’s CNG kit is being examined.

The driver of the truck has been arrested.

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Car catches fire due to leakage in LPG cylinder Raj Sadosh

Abohar, February 28, 2012A major tragedy was averted as an Alto car used by women schoolteachers was badly damaged due to a leakage in the LPG cylinder that exploded later.

As per information, the car (DL 8 CK 6729) had been ferrying the daughter-in-law of its owner Krishan Lal Kathpal along with other schoolteachers to village-based schools since no other mode of transport is available in the morning.

She chose to avail of casual leave today. While the driver Avinash Chander was on his way to contact other teachers, he found heat emanating from near his seat.

The LPG cylinder caught fire perhaps due to some leakage and fault in the wire system as the car was passing near the Shakti Nursing Home located on the Abohar-Hanumangarh road (state highway) close to the railway overbridge.

The driver promptly stopped the vehicle and jumped out but sustained some injuries in the exercise.

A resident Baljit Singh said the municipal fire brigade was informed immediately. Schoolchildren and teachers who were waiting on the roadside for transport were advised to rush for shelter. Meanwhile, the LPG cylinder exploded turning the car into pieces, some of which were found at a distance of 100 meters, other residents confirmed.

“Thanks God, the explosion that made the locality panic, did not affect the nursing home and other commercial establishments nearby,” said a housewife.

Scores of citizens were found rushing to the site as the news spread like a wildfire. The fire- fighting workers were able to extinguish fire after an hour. 

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Parked car catches fire in MapusaTNN Feb 17, 2012, 03.56AM IST

MAPUSA: A parked car caught fire on Thursday morning in Mapusa.

The Maruti Zen belonging to Canca resident Satish Arsekar was parked at Plaza building near the court junction in Mapusa. The owner was not in the vehicle.

At around 11.50am, the wiring of the car suddenly caught fire because of a suspected short-circuit. The fire was put off by the owner with the help of locals before the fire brigade reached. The wiring and car battery of the car were damaged in the incident and the fire department has estimated the loss to be around 20,000._____________________

Another incident in february’12 reported on india tv :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aItu8-dkFIs

New Delhi, Feb 16: An Afghan national was killed and three others were injured when a car in which they were travelling rammed into a divider and caught fire in south Delhi.The incident took place on Rao Tula Ram Marg between Vasant Vihar and Munirka at around 5 am. The  deceased has been identified as Qasim (25).

“The car was speeding and it rammed into the divider.  Then the car caught fire. Qasim died in the incident, while

three other Afghan nationals  suffered burns,” a senior police official said.

The injured are undergoing treatment  at the AIIMS Trauma centre. 

The Afghan nationals were staying in Lajpat Nagar.

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Three children charred to death as car catches fire 

 

Source: Bhaskar News   |   Last Updated 21:23(16/02/12)

Faridabad: Three children who were playing in a parked car were charred to death when the vehicle caught fire in Wzirpur today.

The Maruti van had been lying on spot since the past three days caught fire while the children were playing in it.

The car belonged to a relative of the children who were all cousins of each other.

The van had been fitted with a CNG kit and initial speculations suggest that a leakage in the CNG cylinder could be one of the possible reasons for the accident.

However, police is investigating all possible reasons of their death.

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Car catches fire near PM's residence  inShare

Monday, 13 February 2012 18:55

The Innova SUV car bearing diplomatic number 109 CD 35 went up in flames after it exploded near a petrol pump.

http://www.newsbullet.in/video/india/25983-car-catches-fire-in-delhi_____________________--Cops clueless on blaze triggerFeb 7, 2012, 07.19AM IST   TNN

NEW DELHI: A day after a 52-year-old marble dealer was burnt to death in his Wagon R, cops are yet to ascertain what sparked the fire. The incident was reported around 1.30am near the Old Dwarka underpass under the Delhi cantonment police station. The deceased has been identified as Pawan Kumar Gupta, a resident of Sector 9 in Rohini. He was on his way home from the IGI Airport when the incident occurred. The family was informed about the incident only on Sunday.  

Possibly a spark in the engine triggered the blaze, said fire officials. An FSL team from Rohini visited the spot and inspected the vehicle. "We will begin investigations only after receiving the FSL report,'' said A K Ojha, DCP (southwest).  

Police said the car was registered with a financial company owned by the family and they could identify the totally burnt body after checking the chasis number with the RTO. Ojha confirmed that prima facie, it looked like an accidental fire.  

Gupta's son Ankur told TOI that his father rarely drove the Wagon R preferring to travel in his Qualis.  

"On Saturday, my father got a call from one of his friends was waiting for him at the airport. He rushed to the airport but forgot his mobile phone at home. Unfortunately, he couldn't call anyone when he was trapped inside the car,'' said Ankur.  

Ankur also said that the car didn't have an automatic lock. "I cannot understand what happened. How could he not spot the fire," he said.  

Cops said they will contact the car manufacturers to shed some light on the incident.

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Re: Accidents : Vehicles catching fire in India

Quote:

Originally Posted by   coolboy007   6th February 2012, 11:53 My sister and brother in law were mute spectators to a burning car today night. We 3 went for a party in hauz khas village and as i had a few drinks i left my car there only and sister and her husband dropped me off to Dwarka. As the scene is in our country these days, i kept awake and thought i will sleep only after getting a call that they too reached their home safely.

Called my sister and she was crying, my BIL told that on the way back near airport road a Wagon R caught fire, he immediately parked his car and stepped down to help while my sister called the PCR, he told me that the guy was frantically wavin at him to help him so he took his gear lock rod and went near the car but the moment he went near the car got engulfed in flames and fearing the cng cylinder may blast he had to back off, when he turned around the guy inside the burning car honked for him to help but my BIL was helpless, there was nothing he could do than wait for police and fire brigade.  

The PCR arrived within 3 mins but the car was almost burnt by now, my sister almost fainted seeing all this and the police noted their mobile nos, asked them to leave and promised some update.A ghastly incident.

_________________________Feb 06, 2012 -   New Delhi   |  

Age Correspondent

Three members of a family and their neighbour had a close shave when the car in which they were travelling

caught fire at Pitampura in northwest Delhi on Saturday night.

The car, a Ford Icon, caught fire while on the move on Outer Ring Road about a kilometre from Madhuban

Chowk in Pitampura late Friday night, the police said.

However, the occupants of the car escaped unharmed as they were alerted by those who sited the flames which

started from the engine, they said.

The car went up in flames by the time it was parked and the occupants rushed out of it, they said.

Fire tenders, police personnel and locals took about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

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Lucky escape for 30 as bus catches fire near Ambur 1st Feb 2012, 08:09

Thirty people travelling in a private luxury bus from Bangalore to Chennai had a miraculous escape when the alert bus driver stopped the vehicle after spotting smoke emanating from its airconditioning unit near Ambur on Tuesday evening. The passengers managed to get down from the bus but many could not retrieve their luggage in time. The bus soon caught fire and was completely gutted. 

After lunch near Pallikonda in Vellore district, driver Mohammed Rafique resumed the journey. When the bus crossed Vengili village around 3pm, Rafique notice smoke emanating from an airconditioning unit at the rear of the bus. He stopped the vehicle immediately and alerted the passengers, shouting out to them to alight immediately from the bus. While all the passengers rushed down, some were unable to retrieve their

luggage from the rack as fire started to spread rapidly, feeding on the strong breeze and leaking diesel from the vehicle’s tank. The vehicle was gutted in no time. 

The passengers hailed from different parts of the country, including Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, and also one from Colombo. Fire tenders from Ambur and Vaniyambadi rushed to the spot and attempted to douse the fire. Traffic movement on the busy Chennai-Bangalore highway was affected for 90 minutes and resumed only after the fire service personnel managed to douse the fire completely. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highway. A police team reached the spot and diverted the vehicles through alternative routes. Police suspect that an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire. 

Source - TOI

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Volkswagen car in India catches fire on ignition, driver suffers 60 percent burns (Photos)POSTED ON 2012-01-31

Volkswagen Vento midsized sedan, caught fire when owner of the car, 40 year old Mr Kailash Suresh Gupta tried

to start the vehicle. Mr Gupta, who owns a grocery shop in Pune, was out exercising early Monday morning. After

exercising, Mr Gupta headed for some breakfast to a restaurant on FC Road. Once he was done with breakfast,

Mr Gupta headed to his VW Vento 1.6L TDI, which was parked near Vaishali restaurant on FC Road.

The minute Mr Gupta tried to ignite his VW Vento, it caught fire, leaving no time for him to react. Within seconds

the entire car was seen burning. Thanks to courageous passersby, Mr Gupta was rescued and taken to a nearby

hospital where it was stated that he had suffered 60% burns on his face, legs and hands.

Police officer who is looking into the matter, later reported, "Around 7.40 am, when he got into his car again and

started it, the vehicle suddenly caught fire. Gupta was stuck inside the car. Alert citizens on the road broke the

glass panes and pulled him out of the burning car, saving his life."

By the time Fire Brigade officials arrived, the black VW Vento was burning up in flames. Fire Brigade officials

managed to douse the burning Vento in few minutes. Mr Rajesh Jagtap, Fire brigade officer stated, "By the time

the fire brigade team reached the spot, citizens had rescued the owner and shifted him to the hospital with the

help of the police. The passersby did struggle a bit to rescue Mr. Gupta as he had his seatbelt on. It was

a black Volkswagen Vento. The driver tried to take the car to the side of the road. In the process, the vehicle

brushed against a parked car. We extinguished the fire within 10 minutes, but the car was completely burnt. The

other car that it had brushed against was partially damaged.

Mr Kailash Gupta's brother, Mr Rakesh Gupta who seemed to be furious with the freak Volkswagen Vento

episode, stated, "We have been informed by company officials that company authorities from Germany will be

flying in to India to ascertain what went wrong. his brother purchased the Vento last year and it is not even

a year old. 

Volkswagen Vento car fire: bizman diesExpress News Service : Pune, Fri Feb 10 2012, 02:05 hrs

A week after his car caught fire on Fergusson College Road, 40-year-old

businessman Kailash Suresh Gupta succumbed to injuries he had suffered in

the incident. He was under treatment for 60 per cent burns in a hospital.

Deccan Gymkhana police investigating the case said an offence may be

registered in the case after they get the report from the Regional Transport

Office, which had examined the car. Police said Gupta had heard a sound in

the car Near Good Luck chowk.

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 Re: Accidents : Vehicles catching fire in India, 24th January 2012, 00:51

A Mercedes-Benz W210 E220 cdi catches fire near Ludhiana Punjab.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/86897-accidents-vehicles-catching-fire-india-13.html_______________________-

Car catches fire

Zirakpur, January 23, 2012It was a narrow escape for a resident of Zirakpur when his car caught fire here today. According to the owner of the car, Darshan Singh, a resident of Green City, he was going towards his residence in Lohgarh when his car suddenly caught fire on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway.

He alighted from the car and raised the alarm. The Fire Department was informed about the incident and a fire tender reached the spot and doused the fire. 

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Man killed after mini-bus catches fire in DelhiNew Delhi, Jan 16, (PTI) 2012:

A 47-year-old man was killed and two others suffered burn injuries in south-west Delhi this afternoon after a mini-bus caught fire apparently due to CNG leakage.The incident took place near Metro Station in Dwarka Sector nine at around 12:45 pm, police and fire brigade officials said. Raj Kumar, a passenger in the vehicle, was killed in the fire while Rakesh (26) and Ajit (24) suffered 45 and 47 per cent burn injuries, they said.

The injured have been rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where they are undergoing treatment. The vehicle was on its way to Dwarka after filling CNG from a fuel station on Dwarka-Gurgaon route.

"The minibus caught fire suddenly when it reached near the Metro station. Locals in the area rushed to the spot and managed to take out passengers from the bus," a senior police official said. Vipin Kashmiri, the owner of the bus, was in the bus at the time of the incident.

"Kashmiri was driving the bus and on way he met his friends Raj Kumar, Rakesh and Ajit. They boarded the bus. As the mini bus caught fire, Kashmiri jumped off while Rakesh and Ajit used the door to escape but suffered injuries.

"However, Raj Kumar tried to escape from the window but was trapped and could not escape," the official said. Kashmiri is presently absconding. Efforts are on to ascertain the exact cause of the fire though investigators suspect leakage of CNG to be the reason behind the incident.

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Three injured as call centre cab catches fireWed Jan 11 2012 23:07:52 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS    New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) Two female call centre employees and their driver were injured when their cab caught fire in north Delhi Wednesday, said a fire official0.

The incident was reported around 6 p.m. in Rohini area.

Anita, 23, and Tanya, 25, who work at a Noida-based call centre, were on their way to office when

the incident took place.

“Smelling something burning, the duo asked the driver Rambir to stop the vehicle. The driver

stepped out and managed to pull both the girls out in time,” said the official.

While the two women received five percent burns, Rambir sustained injuries on his face.

The three were taken to Jaipur Golden Hospital and discharged after first-aid. The car was gutted in

the fire.

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Four burnt to death in car accidentIndo-Asian News Service | Updated: December 18, 2011 08:20 IST

Panipat: Four youth from Uttar Pradesh, who were returning home after picking up one of their friends from Delhi airport, were burnt alive early

Saturday after their car collided with a truck near this Haryana city and caught fire, police said.

Three of the victims had gone Friday to Delhi airport to pick up their friend Bunty, who was coming from Mumbai. After picking him up, they were headed towards Shamli town in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, when their car collided with the truck on the Panipat-Karnal stretch of the National Highway No.1 (NH-1), 15 km from here.

"The car hit the diesel tank of the truck and immediately caught fire. The victims were burnt alive inside," a police official said.

He said that some people tried to save the youths but the central locking system of the car got jammed, trapping the four.

While three youth were killed on-the-spot, bystanders were able to take out one youth after breaking the window panes. However, he too succumbed while being taken to hospital._________________________

Car catches fire near Chief Minister Gowda's houseExpress News Service | Updated: December 13, 2011 12:24 IST

Bangalore: A Maruti Esteem car was charred after it caught fire accidentally near the official residence of Karnataka Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Kumara Krupa Road. 

According to the police, the car was coming from Windsor Manor Junction towards Shivananda Circle and the driver noticed smoke coming out from the car's bonnet. He stopped the car and fled the scene without informing the police or Fire Department.

Though a few policemen tried to douse the fire, they did not succeed. Later, a fire tender was rushed to the spot.  High Grounds police have registered a case in this connection.__________________________

Santro car catches fire Tribune News Service

Panchkula, November 30, 2011Three passengers of a Santro car had a narrow escape when it caught fire here today.

The car owner, Mayank Raghuvanshi, said he along with his mother Usha and wife Akanksha was going towards his residence in Sector 21 when his car suddenly caught fire near the Sector 4-11 roundabout.

He rescued his mother and wife and raised the alarm.

The fire department was informed about the incident. A fire tender was sent to the scene soon after and it controlled the fire.

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Car catches fire on Akbar RoadNew Delhi, Nov 21 : A car caught fire on the Akbar Road in the high security central Delhi area Monday, police said. The driver escaped unhurt.The Hyundai Accent suddenly caught fire at 12 Akbar Road around 3 p.m. Monday causing traffic disruption for almost 20 minutes in the area.

The driver of the car, Kranti Prasad, was on his way to south Delhi when he saw smoke suddenly coming out from under the car's bonet.

"He stopped to check it near the Congress party headquarters, when all of a sudden, flames engulfed the car," said a senior police officer, adding that the car caught fire as the engine got overheated.

"We received a call at 3.26 p.m. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and doused the flames," said a fire official. (IANS -Posted on / )_________________________-

Brand new car, BMTC bus gutted

STAFF REPORTER, HINDU, 15.11.11SHARE  ·   PRINT   ·   T+  

The driver of a brand new high-end car had a providential escape when it suddenly went up in flames near Mayo Hall junction on Mahatma Gandhi Road late on Sunday night.

The BMW, which is yet to be registered, was heading towards Anil Kumble Circle when fire broke out due to suspected electric short circuit in the battery, a source at Ashok Nagar police station said. The car was partially gutted in the accident, which took place around 11.45 p.m.

Soon after noticing the fire, Tommy Joseph, a Koramangala resident driving the car, alerted the Fire and Emergency Services Department. Firemen from the Mayo Hall station arrived within a few minutes and doused the blaze. The driver reportedly told the police he stopped the car after noticing smoke from the engine. As soon he got off, the vehicle erupted in flames.

BMTC bus

Meanwhile, a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus caught fire at Hennur Bande on Sunday.

According to the driver-cum-conductor, Murugendra, he noticed the blaze in the rear of the bus while he was counting the day's collection. He ran out and tried to douse the fire with the help of local residents. When they failed, he called up fire and emergency services personnel but within minutes, the rear tyres, windows and seat went up in flames. Fire officials suspect an electrical short circuit.

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 10th November 2011, 19:42

Yesterday's TOI had a news about a Nano catching fire in Chennai - they mentioned short-circuit as cause. It was a July2011 car. Occupants jumped out safely.

_____________________ Mahindra Logan gutted, 26th October 2011, 15:42

Saw this Mahindra Logan catching fire right in front of my eyes (in bylanes of South Delhi), few minutes ago. Never imagined I would witness one. It started with a small fire but became a big inferno in just no time. Seems like Municipal cleaners had lumped the street trash into a small heap over which the owner had parked the car (how many times do people even think about it?) Due to reasons unknown, trash caught fire, which ate the car in just few minutes. Car was all juiced up with tank full of fuel, which stoked it even further.

Delhi Fire Service came after about 15 minutes (not bad time for DFS on Diwali festival day, when they are on maximum alert), but by then, Logan had said goodbye and escaped the subtle bonds of earth.Attached Thumbnails

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 Re: Accidents : Vehicles catching fire in India, 26th October 2011, 22:19

Saw an silver accent viva getting charred in flames last sunday afternoon on Eastern Exp highway in Mumbai just after Sion. Owner luckily managed to escape on time. A water tanker was passing from the opposite side and the driver helped by pouring water to control the fire but it was too late as the car was all in flames.____________________

Woman killed, two injured as car catches fireMon Oct 17 2011 23:27:41 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS    Lucknow, Oct 17 (IANS) A woman was charred to death while two others received serious burns in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district Monday when the car they were travelling in went up in flames following a gas leakage in the vehicle, police said.

Kanti Mishra, 45, was burnt to death and her husband and another person sustained multiple burns

when the LPG-powered Maruti 800 car caught fire in Chiluataal locality.

“While Kanti died on the spot, the other two were rushed to a hospital. Their condition is stated to

be extremely serious,” a police official said in Gorakhpur, some 300 km from Lucknow.

“Though the gas leakage from the LPG kit fitted in the car caused the fire, we are yet to ascertain

whether the kit was an authorised one or not,” he added.

Car goes up in flames at Koyambedu market 07.10.11

CHENNAI: A couple shopping at the flower market inside the Koyambedu market complex was lucky enough to escape with their lives, after their car went up in flames on Thursday .

Parthasarathy (55), a resident of Mylapore, had come to the market early on the morning of Vijayadasami for bulk purchase of flowers for the festival. After completing their purchases, they returned to their Hyundai i10 (TN 22 BZ 7094) and he attempted to start it. “It did not start despite my trying repeatedly,” recalls the senior employee of Ashok Leyland. “Then we noticed that thick black fumes were coming from the engine,” he added. 

Instantly, the elderly couple got out of the car and within minutes, flames began to engulf the engine. The Koyambedu police said that the fire started at 7.20 am. “When we first saw it, we thought that it was just a radiator without water and laughed about it,” said Rajalingam, whose shop was directly opposite where the car burned. Only after the flames started to consume the vehicle did the vendors crowd around and attempt to help put it out, he said.

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Car goes up in flames Tribune News Service

Ambala, October 4, 2011A Hyundai Accent car caught fire near Baldev Nagar today at 2 pm. However, no serious casualty was reported as the driver stoped the vehicle on the roadside and helped the relatives out of the car safely.

According to fire brigade officials, Gunjan, a resident of Babyal, was in the car. He was accompanied by his wife Neha, daughter Neel and a relative Sheela Gupta. The car caught fire due to a short circuit, following which Ramesh, a relative of Gunjan, who was driving the car applied brakes and averted an accident. He immediately informed the fire brigade but the vehicle was in flames within minutes. However, auto-experts believe that an electrical short-circuit could have led to the incident.

______________________Uploaded by newsxlive on Sep 29, 2011In less than a week, another car fitted with CNG (an opel corsa) went up in flames on the Srinivasapuri flyover in South Delhi on Thursday night. But this time around, the car driver escaped unhurt. Dr. Gosh, was returning from his hospital in Maharani Bagh, when he spotted sparks emanating from the front of the car. He immediately stopped the car and jumped out of it to find it being engulfed in flames in no time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbxUnW1aEf0_______________________Nano catches fire, brother-sister duo gets away safelyPosted by   Carzy Team   on September 26th, 2011

Trouble seems to be looking for   Tata Nano   with yet another accident of running car catching fire

reported on Saturday evening in New Delhi. With in no time the car was surrounded by flames on all

sides but fortunately the two occupants of the car were alert and got away in time.

The incident took place around 8:15 in the evening when Nishant   (25) was travelling along with his

sister   Suman   (35) from their Krishna Nagar house to Connaught Place. After they started their

new   Tata Nano , a few kilometers away they smelled the smoke and rushed out of the car to ensure

and within no time the fire engulfed the whole vehicle, brother-sister duo escaped safely as per their

statement to the police. The flames were silent within fifteen minutes by a couple of fire brigades.

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Mumbai: New car catches fire on expresswayPublished On: September 22, 2011 | Duration: 2 min, 21 sec

The Maruti Swift Dzire was three months old. The driver had just stepped out as the engine got

heated.

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Man charred to death in his car HT Correpondent   , Hindustan Times New Delhi, September 22, 2011

First Published: 23:12 IST(22/9/2011)

An area sales manager with a telecom giant was charred to death when his moving car caught fire at 11.45am near Azadpur in north west Delhi on Thursday morning. The victim, Pradeep Arora, is survived by his five month pregnant wife. Arora, 28, was out for some field work when   the fuel tank of his silver Alto caught fire due to a mechanical fault, the police said. “As soon as Arora, who was coming from the Azadpur side, approached Mukundpur area, smoke started billowing out of his car’s engine. He tried to get out, but the car burst into flames in a matter of seconds,” said Shiv Shankar, an eye witness.Arora, an MBA from a Ghaziabad based management college, was a resident of Babarpur in Shahdara. “He left home at around 9.30 am for work. He had come to Delhi two months ago from Dehradun for this job. We saw the news of his death on TV and rushed to the spot. Meanwhile, the police contacted us and confirmed his death,” said Surender Arora, brother of Pradeep.

“His body was charred beyond recognition. A rod in his left arm, which had been inserted after he suffered from multiple fractures in an accident last year, helped in his identifying,” added Surender.

His charred body was found lying on the left side of the car. “It seems that he panicked and tried to escape but couldn’t get out as the central locking system of his car was jammed,” a senior police officer said.

Arora bought the car a week before his marriage in 2010. “He was the youngest in the family. We haven’t told his wife yet,” said an inconsolable Radhey Shyam Arora, Pradeep’s father.

“Initial investigations by a forensic team suggested that a fire broke out in the fuel tank. He was driving the car in the service lane when it caught fire,” the police officer added

Arora, who joined Airtel DTH services last month, was looking after the sales division of east Delhi area. His office was in Netaji Subhash Palace. He had just applied for his official visiting cards on Wednesday.

_________________Uploaded by   starnews   on   Sep 21, 2011 Mumbai: A Swift Dzire are catched fire when a businessman was returning from Aurangabad, the car blazed near Virar.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lzs0HLWaAc&feature=relmfu________________________

Car catches fireLastupdate on : Thu, 8 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST

Srinagar, Sept 7: A car caught fire at Buch Pora, Soura Wednesday while filing of LPG in its gas chamber.  Witnesses said the car got damaged as its gas tank caught fire and exploded. No one was however hurt in the incident, they said.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdg6veu81OcUploaded by   WildFilmsIndia   on   Jul 30, 2011 Car accident, New Delhi. CNG powered car catches fire in New Delhi! Policemen tend to the burnt car, even as the flyover is cordoned off and a Fire engine stands by for action. Curious onlookers and bystanders galore - this is India! Traffic crawls on the other side of the flyover. policemen get the statement of the family who were driving the car and abandoned it on it catching fire. Another day in the life of New Delhi..._______________________________Uploaded by   starnews   on   Jul 3, 2011 A scorpio car of Dr Ramprasad catches fire on Fatehpur Road of Agra. However, he escaped unhurt in the incident.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzzTORAeXCw&feature=relmfu_______________________

ToI, Car catches fire A woman Kanti Misra was charred to death while her husband Omkarnath Misra and his associate suffered severe burns when the Maruti van in which they were travelling, caught fire

in Gorakhpur on Monday evening. Police said an LPG cylinder attached to the fuel pipe of the van, had apparently caught fire leading to the mishap.   By Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui, Lucknow224 days ago

_____________________Car bursts into flames on Delhi road (16Jun2011)

"A Fiat Palio car exploded into flames at 1 pm on one of Delhi's busiest roads. The accident took place on Ring Road near Pragati Maidan outside IP power station. Eyewitnesses say that the driver leapt out of the car when the fire began, and ran away. Traffic police then summoned firefighters. Nobody was injured. The cause of the fire has not been determined" Source: NDTV

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50 metres in 45 minutesBy:   shashank shekhar Date:   2011-04-26 Place:   Delh

i

That was the reaction time of the fire department in this particular case

With the mercury rising in the Capital, instances of vehicles catching fire may increase in the coming days. On Monday afternoon a black Alto went up in flames barely 50 metres away from the fire department headquarters at Connaught Place. However, a fire tender reached the spot 45 minutes after a call was made to the department.

Heat wave: Traffic in Connaught Place and adjoining areas came to a   halt for sometime after a car caught fire in the area on Monday   afternoon. Pic/Rajeev Tyagi

Vinay Kumar who was driving the vehicle suddenly saw smoke coming out of it and then noticed the flames. The car had got overheated. He immediately came out of the Alto and made calls to the police and fire department, but the vehicle could not be saved.      

The incident took place at around 2:55 pm outside Scindia House in Connaught Place's outer circle. Due to heavy traffic the fire caught the attention of passers-by and they stopped for help. Witnessing the apathy of the fire department, the mob started shouting slogans, causing congestion at CP and adjoining areas. The owner of the car was in a state of shock. "I can not believe I am alive. My car is gone but I thank god for saving me," he said

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SI charred to death as car catches fire Puducherry, Apr 11: A Sub-Inspector was charred to death when their car went on flames all of a sudden at Rangapillai Street here today.According to police, Dhanapal, Sub-Inspector-II attached to the D Nagar police station was on sick leave for some time. He along with his family members had gone to a private finance company to pledge some gold ornaments.

As the family members went up to the second floor financial institution, Dhanapal put on the air-conditioner in the car and sat inside it waiting for them to come back. But, the car went on flames all of a sudden and as he could not get out. Grand Bazaar police registered a case. (UNI)____________________________

Bride burnt as wedding car catches fireMon Mar 07 2011 18:13:17 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

Melbourne, March 7 (IANS) It was meant to be the most memorable day of her life — but it turned

out to be the most frightening day for a newly-wedded bride in Australia after her wedding car

burst into flames.

She was on her way in the car with her newly-wedded hubby to attend a reception in New South

Wales’ Riverina region.

It all happened Saturday afternoon in Albury, a major regional city in the state’s southwest, as the

couple’s chauffeur-driven Chevrolet caught fire in Dean Street, AAP reports.

The couple, named by local media as Stephanie and Nathan Suter, married in Albury’s St.

Matthew’s Church.

“It happened so fast, I just couldn’t believe it,” Stephanie Suter told the ABC.

“All I remember is basically seeing smoke, then just feeling the heat of the flames and just trying to

get out of that car. I was absolutely petrified.

“My husband had to actually pull me out of the car. My hair and dress were actually on fire, she

said.

The man suffered burns to his hands and face. Ms. Suter suffered some minor burns to her arms

and was treated at the scene for shock, said a NSW Ambulance spokesman.

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Car catches fire A pool car carrying school children suddenly caught fire at Bolpur in Birbhum district. All the children, however, escaped unhurt police said. Six students of a private school at Makrampur

were coming for their examination from Bhedia in neighbouring Burdwan district when the car caught fire. Some local who noticed fire in the car and informed the driver. The driver stopped the car and children came out the car unhurt but the car was reduced to ashes soon.By Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay, Kolkata467 days ago

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Uploaded by   tv9telugu   on   Mar 25, 2011 CNG vehicles turns to death vehicles in summer and RTA officials warns CNG vehicle users to take safety measures.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GxCVYvS6Rs&feature=endscreen_______________________Yet Another Nano Car Catches FirePosted by   Carzy Team   on March 3rd, 2011

May be unbelievable but it’s true that this is the   eighth fire incident involving the   Tata Nano car , as

the mini vehicle caught fire near the Shivranjani Crossroads in Ahmedabad. While the brand claims

that “an unauthorized electrical fitments in the car may be the cause of the incident”. It is a pretty easy

explanation from Tata Motors but genuinely difficult to digest.

Fire officials confirmed, “The incident took place near Shivranjani Crossroads when a   Tata

Nano   belonging to Vipul Jani caught fire while he was driving home.”

Mr. Jaani expressed his views to reporters, “My car caught fire all of a sudden near the Shivranjani

crossing, while I was on my way home. A police complaint has been registered in this regard.”

He further added, “The rear portion of the car, where the engine is located caught fire… I had

purchased the car on May 1 st   last year.”

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Woman dies after car catches fireTNN   Feb 13, 2011, 10.16pm IST

NEW DELHI: A hitched ride proved fatal for a 25-year-old unidentified woman when she was burnt to death after the car caught fire in northwest   Delhi . The incident was reported early Sunday morning. The woman had reportedly taken a lift from Surendra Rana (30) and his sister Nirmal (28) in Bawana in their Matiz car."The woman got into Rana's car at Katewra mor around 5.30am. The car had only covered a short distance when it rammed into a divider and suddenly caught fire as it was fitted with a CNG kit. While Surendra and Nirmal managed to somehow get out of the car in time, the unidentified woman remained trapped inside. A fire tender was rushed to the spot. The woman was taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital where she was declared brought dead. We have preserved her body as of now and waiting to identify her," said a senior police officer.

Surendra and Nirmal are residents of Qutub Garh and had been heading towards Rohini to shop when the tragic incident took place.

________________________Uploaded by   viruthebond   on   Feb 3, 2011 A wagon R car catches fire in Delhi at Vidhan Sabha (near Vidhan Sabha Metro Station) on 3rd Feb, 2011http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkdHCNOZD_o________________________Uploaded by   starnews   on   Jan 28, 2011 A Maruti Zen catches fire in the car service station of Begumpur area of Delhi due to short circuit.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrLKoDbIwa4

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Car catches fire A Tata Indica car suddenly caught fire on the busy Sion-Panvel Road, at Nerul, which disrupted the traffic. The flames soon engulfed the entire car, but its occupants quickly managed to escape without any injuries.By Vijay Singh, Mumbai557 days ago, ToI

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Car catches fire A car went up in flames at a hotel in Aminjikarai early on Sunday. The police suspect an electrical short circuit triggered the fire which was put out by fire and rescue services personnel. By then,

however, the Wagon-R was almost gutted. A case has been registered.By Selvaraj A, Chennai596 days ago, ToI

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School van catches fire, no casualtiesThu Jan 27 2011 23:33:00 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

New Delhi, (IANS) A van used to ferry school children caught fire in central Delhi on Thursday

morning, fire officials said. There were no casualties. The accident took place in front of Liberty

Cinema hall in Karol Bagh area of central Delhi around 8 a.m. when the driver was returning after

dropping the children at Navjeevan Public School.

The fire officials said they received a call around 8.05 a.m. after which a fire tender was rushed to

the spot.

“The car had completely caught fire and though we managed to douse the flames quickly, it was

completely burnt down. The driver managed to get out of the car and there were no casualties,”

said a fire official.

Following the incident, there was traffic congestion reported on the usually busy road.

“We are still investigating how the vehicle caught fire. The driver told us that he saw smoke

coming out and as soon he stepped out to check, flames engulfed the vehicle,” said a police

officer.

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Man charred to death as mini-bus catches fireSun Jan 16 2011 20:20:53 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) A 47-year-old man was charred to death and two others were injured here

Sunday afternoon after a mini-bus in which they were travelling caught fire due to a suspected

CNG (compressed natural gas) leak, police said.The incident took place near Metro station in in

west Delhi’s Dwarka Sector 9 around 12.45 p.m.

“The mini-bus (DL 1 BA 1247) was heading towards Dwarka after filling CNG from a station on the

Dwarka-Gurgaon road. As the van reached Dwarka Sector 9 Metro station, it caught fire,” said a

police officer.

Raj Kumar was killed as he got stuck in a window while trying to escape from the vehicle in flames.

Rakesh, 26, and Ajit, 24, managed to flee but suffered 45-47 percent burn injuries, said the officer.

The owner-cum-driver of the mini-bus Vipin Kashmiri managed to jump off the vehicle when it

caught fire. He is absconding.

The victims were Vipin’s friends who had accompanied him to the CNG station in the empty mini-

bus, police said.

A fire brigade official said they received a call and rushed fire tenders to the spot.

It seems CNG leakage led to the incident, the police official said.

_______________________

Call centre cab catches fire, 3 injuredNew Delhi, Jan 11, DHNS:

Two women and a driver were injured when their office car caught fire in Rohini area of outer Delhi on Wednesday evening, the police said.

Anita (23) and Tanya (25), who work at a HCL call centre in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, were on their way to office in a Maruti Swift car when the incident took place near Avantika Chowk in Rohini Sector I at around 6.30 p.m.

“We received a call about a car on fire and two fire tenders were sent to the spot. The fire was brought under control soon, but the car was completely gutted,” a fire official said.

The duo along with the driver Rambir, however, managed to escape with minor injuries. The police say that the car may have caught fire due to a short-circuit in the blower wiring.

“The heater in the car was being run at a high temperature due to which there may have been a short-circuit,” police said.____________________________

Five killed as car catches fire in IranSat Sep 11 2010 20:56:51 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

Tehran, Sep 11 (IANS) Five people were burnt to death when a car caught fire in Iran’s

southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, a media report said Saturday.

“The car caught fire automatically while moving towards Nabandan,” Xinhua reported quoting

police officials as telling the IRNA news agency.

“There were three men and two women in the car” when the accident occurred, provincial police

commander Ardavan Qasemi said.

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School van catches fire, 11 injured in Uttar PradeshSat Sep 04 2010 12:32:13 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

Lucknow, Sep 4 (IANS) At least 11 schoolchildren received burn injuries when their van caught fire

in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district Saturday, officials said.

All the students, who are in the age group of 8-13 years, are being treated in the Azamgarh district

hospital. Doctors said the condition of three is critical.

According to police, the accident took place in the Bilariyaganj area, where the van of the Ma

Yashoda Inter College caught fire.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that the van caught fire due to leakage in the LPG kit fitted in the

vehicle,” acting District Magistrate Chhotelal told IANS over telephone from Azamgarh, some 350

km from Lucknow.

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School van catches fire, students safeSat Jul 24 2010 20:33:42 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS    

Lucknow, July 24 (IANS) A school van in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district caught fire, but the

students trapped inside were rescued by the timely intervention of the driver and locals, police said

Saturday.

The incident took place Saturday afternoon near Beri area, some 150 km from Lucknow, when the

van of Kendriya Vidyalaya carrying 17 students caught fire, probably due to an electrical short-

circuit, police said.

“As the driver noticed the fire, he quickly stopped the vehicle and raised an alarm,” Inspector S.K.

Singh told reporters in Shahjahanpur.

“By the time the locals arrived at the accident site, the driver had managed to take three-four

students out of the vehicle. While a few students jumped out safely from the vehicle, others were

rescued by the locals. A major tragedy was averted due to the alertness of the driver and locals,”

he added.

“It appears the fire occurred due to a short-circuit. But confirmation can be done only after an

inquiry,” Singh said.

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Woman dies as car catches fire in Madhya PradeshWed Apr 28 2010 20:36:31 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS   

Bhopal, April 28 (IANS) A woman was burnt to death when her car caught fire at a mechanic’s shop

in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district Wednesday, police said.

“Some repair work was underway on the vehicle when the incident occurred. The woman coming

from Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district was seated inside the car at that time,” a police officer said.

“The manner in which the blaze spread in the shop indicates that the car might have been running

on LPG. It is being probed whether the fire erupted while gas was being filled in the vehicle,” the

police official said.

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Two cars catch fire, drivers locked in, dieExpress News Service   : New delhi, Sat Apr 24 2010, 00:20 hrs

The Capital witnessed two incidents in which a WagonR and a Maruti 800

caught fire, becoming death traps for their owners.

In the first case — reported from Outer Delhi’s Prashant Vihar area — the

fire began with a short-circuit. The second, in West Delhi’s Kanhaiya Nagar,

took place because the petrol tank caught fire.

In both cases, the men trapped inside were charred beyond recognition. And

it took the police, fire and forensic officials long to retrieve the bodies.

In the Rohini case, 36-year-old Roopender Singh Bhatia had parked the car

in front of the Regional Transport Office in Sector 15.

His air conditioner was switched on and he was reclining on the driver’s

seat. Police and forensic officials said around 11.30 am, a short-circuit must

have occurred in the vehicle’s air conditioner. The blaze spread “within a

fraction of a second”.

Bhatia got trapped inside, probably due to the car’s central locking system,

said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer), Chhaya Sharma. “A constable,

Dharmender, who was out on his beat, told us the man was struggling to get

out. By the time he reached, the man was dead.”

By the time fire officials doused the flames, Bhatia was charred beyond

recognition. The car’s CNG cylinder and engine were found intact, only the

interiors had burnt.

Police recovered a driving licence, which belonged to Bhatia’s wife, Simrat

Kaur. Since the body was unrecognisable, they thought it was Kaur herself.

They realised their mistake when they called up the house.

Though the police believe it was an accident, the family claims that Bhatia

was murdered. His brother Manvinder Singh Bhatia said: “My brother had

been receiving threatening calls for a month, which had been regular in the

last few days. My brother was murdered and we demand a proper inquiry.”

Bhatia resided with his wife and two children in 16/114, Joshi Road, Karol

Bagh. He ran a business near home with his brother as a partner. He also

worked as an insurance agent for New York Max Life and was a part-time

property dealer. A case has been registered at the Prashant Vihar police

station and investigations are on.

In the Kanhaiya Nagar incident, Gulshan Malik (45) lost control over the car

after its petrol tank caught fire. A police officer said he might have fainted

and so failed to save himself.

The burning Maruti 800 had gone for about 100 metres before crashing into

the streetlight near the Kanhaiya Nagar Metro station around 3.15 pm.

“We tried to save him, but by the time we reached, the fire was too intense,”

said an eyewitness, Nanda Kishore, a rickshaw puller.

By the time police and fire officials arrived, the car was gutted. Malik’s body

and the papers had charred beyond recognition. Eyewitnesses told police

the registration number — DL-8C-C5971. The address was traced to 490,

Nimri Colony, Ashok Vihar. According to the family, he had left home around

10.15 am to go to GT Karnal Road to get the car repaired.

When he found the place closed, he took the Shanti Nagar road to go to

another mechanic. On the way, the vehicle caught fire, an officer said.

Malik used to work as an Upper Division Clerk at the UPSC office near India

Gate. He lived with his wife and two children.

_______________________India   | Updated Apr 23, 2010 at 06:13pm IST

Car catches fire, man dies in Delhi   New Delhi:   A 35-year-old man died of burns here after his car caught fire, police said Friday,

correcting their own earlier version that the victim was a woman.

Rupinder Singh, a resident of Karol Bagh, was in Rohini Sector-16 when his car caught fire after

an electrical short circuit.

A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said: "We received a call about the accident around 11.50

a.m."

"The incident occurred due to an electrical short circuit in the car which got locked as it has a

central locking system," the police officer said.

"We have asked the forensic team to examine the car," the official added._______________________

Tribune, apr 20, 2010

Moving Inferno

The Skoda car that caught fire at Sector 66, Mohali, on Monday. A short-circuit was believed to be the reason behind the fire. The car driver had a miraculous escape. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

_________________________

Gujarat: Another brand new Nano catches fireWednesday, April 7, 2010, 17:36   [IST]

Anand, Apr 7: Yet another brand new Tata Nano car caught fire near Boriyavi village in Anand

district on Wednesday, Apr 7.

According to police, the incident occurred on National Highway 8, when a fleet of 11 Tata Nano

cars was being driven to a dealer in Ahmedabad.

Police said that one of the Nano cars, which was in the middle of the fleet, caught fire in its rear

portion. The driver of the car was safe.

Last month, a brand new Nano turned ashes while it was being driven to home from showroom in

Mumbai.____________________March 26, 2010 10:27 AM

CBSNEWS.COM

Car Fire Sparks Safety Concerns for TataWhen it was launched less than a year ago, the $2,500 Tata Nano was promoted as a safe, ultra-cheap car for poor Indians, an alternative to the motorbikes that zoom precariously around the country.

New questions about the safety of the pint-sized auto are being raised, however, after one of them burst into flames Sunday as it was being driven home from the showroom.

Software engineer Satish Sawant, his wife and 5-year-old son escaped from the silver Tata Nano - which still bore a celebratory garland of marigolds on the front hood - before the tiny car was engulfed by fire.

A chauffeur initially was at the wheel, but Sawant said he had taken over driving before the fire broke out. Tata has offered Sawant a replacement Nano or a refund._________________

Omar Abdullah has narrow escape as car catches fireWed Feb 10 2010 19:37:01 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS

Jammu, Feb 10 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had a narrow escape as

the engine of his car caught fire when he was returning from a marriage ceremony, his close aide

said Wednesday.

Abdullah’s car caught fire Tuesday night on the Jammu-Pathankote highway but he and his driver

managed to get out of the vehicle before any harm could come to them, said Devendra Rana,

Abdullah’s personal secretary.

Abdullah was returning from the wedding of Congress MP Lal Singh’s daughter at Kathua when his

official car caught fire around 10 p.m. Tuesday near Ghagwal, about 50 km from here.

The car was filled with smoke and the engine could not be switched off even when the ignition was

turned off, an official said.

He was later shifted to another car in his cavalcade.

_______________________

Car catches fire, one injured Tribune News Service

Zirakpur, January 6, 2010A car accidentally caught fire near Lohgarh village at the Zirakpur-Patiala highway leaving driver of the car with minor burn injuries today. The car was gutted in the accident.

According to sources, the incident took place around 11 am when Harbans Singh, a resident of Savitri Apartments, was moving towards his apartment in his Esteem car (HR-26-A-0054) after withdrawing Rs 45,000 from the bank.

While Harbans reached near Lohgarh village, he saw smoke coming out from the car’s engine and he immediately stopped the car. Suddenly the car caught fire, which was followed by a blast. He sustained minor burn injuries, the sources added.

In his statement Harbans told the police that a laptop and Rs 45,000 were also in the car.

A fire tender from the Dera Bassi fire station was pressed into the service. The fire was brought under control in 15 minutes. A fire official stated that the exact cause of fire was yet to be ascertained.

______________________

Narrow escape for scribe as car catches fire 

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 4, 2010A journalist with a vernacular daily had a narrow escape when her car caught fire today morning while she was driving on the Ferozepore Road.Traffic cops posted there noticed the fire in the rear of the Hyundai Santro car.

They immediately waved to her to halt the car and asked her to step out.Within minutes the entire vehicle was in flames.The fire brigade reached the spot and doused the fire.

The car was however completely damaged.Fire fighters said the fire broke out in the LPG gas kit installed in the trunk of the vehicle.

The car that caught fire near Lohgarh village on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

The car of the scribe that caught fire in Ludhiana on Monday. Photo: Inderjeet Verma

_______________________

Car catches fire at   Chandigarh   petrol pump

Submitted by   Hardeep Sidhu   on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 21:54.  

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT FELICITATES YUVRA...

Chandigarh , Dec 17 : A major accident was averted at a petrol

pump here Thursday morning when a car caught fire immediately after

refuelling. No one was injured in the incident.

The car was completely gutted   in the firethat engulfed the vehicle hardly 8-10

feet from the petrol and diesel   dispensers   of the Sector 39 petrol pump.

The occupants of the car, hailing from Kharar town, 15 km   from here ,

immediately jumped out of the vehicle as they saw flames   coming out .

The petrol pump staff seemed at sea initially to put out the fire. The fire-fighting   cylinders   brought by

them could not control the fire. The staff was forced to run with small buckets of water from a tap.

_____________________Saturday, December 05, 2009 (22:49:28)Tags :   India, Nelson Mandela Marg, Delhi Fire Service, DLF Mall

Woman burnt alive as car catches fire in DelhiNew Delhi:   In a gruesome incident, a woman was burnt alive and her husband suffered serious injuries when

their car suddenly caught fire today evening and they were trapped inside the vehicle, officials said.

Delhi Fire Service officials said they were informed around 5.50 p.m. that a car had caught fire in front of the DLF

Mall on south Delhi's Nelson Mandela Marg.

Two fire engines, as also ambulances, were immediately despatched, but they could not save the woman,

identified as Shubha, 32. Her husband S.K. Kanji, who works in a trading company in Gurgaon, was battling for

life in the burns wards of the Safdarjung hospital.

The couple, residents of south Delhi's Aaya Nagar, hail from West Bengal.

"The car (a Maruti Wagon R) was reduced to ashes. Even the number plate was burnt. When we doused the

flames, the woman was already charred to death beyond recognition. Her skull was also visible. She probably

could not come out of the car because of the seat belt," a fire brigade official said.

"Kanji, who was in the driver's seat, has been admitted to the burns ward of Safadarjung hospital. His condition

was described as critical. His chances of survival are very slim," the official said.

Police said the couple were returning from Gurgaon when smoke started coming out of the car.

"They were both wearing seat belts. Before he (Kanji) was able to move his car to the curb, the vehicle caught

fire and the were not able to get out of the car," a police officer said.

Other motorists managed to get Kanji out of the car but Shubha was trapped inside as the seat belt could not be

freed. Her body could not be taken out of the car as it was entangled in the seat.

Officials had to tow the car with her body inside to the Safadarjung hospital, where it took a team of doctors some

time to extract the body.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said they would ascertain the reasons why the

couple could not get out of the car when it suddenly caught fire.

The police said the car was petrol-driven and no gas cylinders were found in the vehicle.

________________________________

Tata Nano catches fire in Lucknow

Tue, Oct 20 2009 21:45 IST  

Lucknow, Oct 20

A newly purchased Tata   Nano car   that was parked in   a parking   lot in the posh

Hazratganj locality of Lucknow caught fire Tuesday   evening , its owner said.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, said R.H. Rizvi, who bought the car in July from

a Lucknow based dealer.

"I parked my car in the parking lot of a shopping complex and went to buy some

gifts. I was shocked when the parking attendant came rushing to me within 10

minutes saying that the car is on fire", Rizvi told IANS.

In a similar incident, another Tata Nano, belled as the world's least expensive

car, caught fire in Ahmedabad early Tuesday.

Technical experts blame the position of the battery for such incidents.

"The   car battery   is placed under the driver's seat and this is the most potential

reason for these fire incidents," an engineer with Tata Motors in Lucknow said.________________________________

Katie Holmes escapes unhurt in car explosionTue Jul 28 2009 22:34:49 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS    

London, July 28 (IANS) Hollywood actress Katie Holmes narrowly escaped unhurt after a car caught

fire on a movie set.

The actress, who is currently in Australia filming “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”, was reportedly

shooting a scene in the vehicle when the battery exploded and the actress was left shaken after

dashing from the car just before it burst into flames, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“Katie was inside a car when the vehicle’s battery exploded. It was sparking smoke and fumes

before the car caught fire. The exploding battery was not a part of the film,” said a source from the

production unit.

Holmes denies presence at car accident site

Thu Jul 30 2009 11:46:35 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by IANS

London, July 30(IANS) Hollywood actress Katie Holmes has dismissed reports that she was caught up in a car explosion while shooting her new movie “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark”, insisting she had left the set before the incident.

The actress, who is currently in Victoria, Australia, was alleged to have made a narrow escape when the battery of the vehicle she was said to be filming in caught fire unexpectedly, forcing the cast and crew to run for safety.

But while the star’s spokesperson admits the incident did take place, they insist Holmes was nowhere near, reported imdb.com. “She had already left the set 10 minutes prior to it happening,” said Holmes’ spokesperson.

_________________________________

Central locking traps 4 in burning BMW in GujaratPublished On: August 1, 2009 | Duration: 2 min, 15 sec

For years, they have been known as among the safest cars in the world. But today, something went terribly wrong in a BMW in Gujarat.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/central-locking-traps-4-in-burning-bmw-in-gujarat/94476____________________________

Online edition of India's National NewspaperWednesday, Jul 29, 2009

Car catches fire at Khairatabad

Staff Reporter— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf  

 beyond repair:   The Santro car which caught fire on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: A moving Santro car caught flames on the Khairatabad flyover causing commotion among commuters and holding up the traffic for over 30 minutes on Tuesday evening.

The driver and two passengers, including the car owner Ramya Reddy of Nizamabad, escaped unhurt even as the car got over 70 per cent damaged.

Police said what triggered the fire is yet to be ascertained, but sparks flying from the engine triggered flames even as the car was moving slowly on the flyover.

As smoke emanated from the bonnet, the driver alerted the owner and all of them got out before flames erupted and engulfed the car.

A fire tender was pressed into service to put out the blazes.

_________________________

Skoda car catches fire Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 11, 2008A day after when a fire broke out at the Advance Pediatrics Centre at the PGI, another incident was reported when a Skoda car (DL 2C M 9978) caught fire at the rear of UT Secretariat, Sector 9 due to a short circuit.

According to the information, the fire department got a call at 12.40 pm in his regard. Reacting to the call, a fire engine from Sector 17, fire wing was immediately sent to the spot, which controlled the fire. The car belongs to Paras Private.

_________________________

Probe in Delhi car fire continuesPublished On: May 31, 2006

The police are investigating whether a faulty locking system or a faulty car is to blame for the deaths of two people burnt inside a Honda City on Monday night in Delhi.http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/probe-in-delhi-car-fire-continues/3738______________________________http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/13793-fire-car-south-delhi-honda-city-2.html31st May 2006, 13:49just had a fire in my 800 a month back.The wires passing below the drivers seat short circuited because of the rats eating the wires.This happened when the car was parked in the night. In the morning when the gaddi dhone wala opens the car and to his surprise there was no drivers seat.It was reduced to springs and steel._______________________

Fire damages car Tribune News Service

Ropar, May 3, 2005 A car which was being run on a gas cylinder was completely burnt after a blast took place in it following the leakage of the gas and windows of several shops in the main market near Nangal chowk here were also damaged in this evening. The car which was coming from Chandigarh stopped near Nangal Chowk by a driver after he came to know about the leakage of the gas but before he could do anything, the fire caught the car, informed the sources.

The eyewitness informed that a driver of the car who was in police uniform ran away from the spot. Till the filing of the report the identity of the driver could not be revealed.

_____________________---

LPG-run car catches fire, owner bookedTribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25, 2004An LPG-run Maruti 800 car (DL 2CK 3630) was charred when its engine caught fire near the official residence of the Haryana Chief Minister in Sector 3.

The police has booked the owner of the car, Sukhchain Singh of Bathinda, for allegedly running a car on LPG illegally and posing danger to the lives of others.

The driver of the car and two others were heading towards the Haryana Chief Minister’s residence after a visit to the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence when the car caught fire.

The occupants of the car came out of the car and fled the scene, fearing a possible blast and a subsequent police action. The police said the car was completely destroyed by the time the fire-tenders reached the spot. The occupants of the car escaped unhurt. However, the police failed to trace them. The police has impounded the vehicle.

A beat constable, Nachhatar Singh, noticed the fire and informed the fire brigade and the police. The engine of the vehicle caught fire and it soon spread to the rest of the car. A firefighter said the damage was so instant that by the time they reached the spot, the car had been completely burnt.