Driver killed, cleaner injured as fire erupts in tempo on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway

Palghar, Mar 4 (PTI) A 28-year-old driver from Punjab was burnt to death, and a cleaner sustained serious injuries after their tempo caught fire on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident, which affected traffic on the busy carriageway, occurred around 10:30 pm on Tuesday on the Gujarat-bound lane near Somta.

According to the Palghar rural police, a tempo was in motion when a fire broke out, quickly engulfing the entire vehicle.

“The intensity of the blaze was so severe that it killed the tempo driver, Jawan Singh, and gutted the materials being transported in the vehicle,” a police official said.

Cleaner Gurusewak Singh (38), also a resident of Punjab, managed to escape the burning vehicle but sustained serious burns, he said.

“The injured cleaner was rushed to the sub-district hospital for treatment, while the driver’s body has been sent to the government hospital for a post-mortem,” the Palghar rural police added.

The fire disrupted traffic on the busy highway for several hours as fire brigade personnel worked to douse the flames.

The police have registered a case of accidental death in connection with the accident. “An investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the fire,” the police official added. PTI COR NR