Rajasthan: 7 of family burnt to death as car rams into truck, catches fire

Jaipur, Apr 14 (PTI) Seven people, including two children and three women, of a family were burnt alive when their car caught fire after crashing into a truck in Rajasthan's Sikar district on Sunday afternoon, police said.

The car passengers, all residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, were going to Hisar from Salasar Balaji Temple when the accident occurred, they said.

"Near Arshiwad Pulia, the car crashed into a moving truck from behind, after which it caught fire. Seven people, including three women and two children, in the car were killed," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Fatehpur Circle) Rampratap Bishnoi said.

According to the police, accident happened when the car driver was trying to overtake the truck, carrying paper rolls and cotton boxes.

When the driver saw another vehicle coming from the opposite direction, it hit the truck in order to avert an accident. The LPG kit in the car burst into flames, they said.

The car passengers could not open the doors of the car due to the fire and were burnt alive, he said.

Those killed have been identified as Neelam Goyal (55), her son Ashutosh Goyal (35), Manju Bindal (58), her son Hardik Bindal (37), his wife Swati Bindal (32), their daughters Diksha (7), and Swati (4). Fatehpur Kotwali SHO Subhash Bijaraniya said fire brigade vehicles were pressed into service from Fatehpur, Ramgarh, and Laxmangarh and the blaze in car and truck was brought under control in 30 minutes The bodies have been sent for post-mortem at Rajkiya Dhanuka Sub-District Hospital, he said.

Ramniwas Saini, who witnessed the accident, said he saw two passengers asking for help but due to fire he could not help them.

Police said that during the retrieval of the bodies from the car, a damaged mobile phone was found. A local villager took out the SIM card and inserted it into his mobile phone. As soon as he switched on the mobile phone, a woman called up and informed that her mother and brother had gone to Salasar Balaji by car and informed the names of the occupants of the car. PTI