A driver was burnt alive after a moving compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered car caught fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district early on Saturday, leaving the vehicle completely gutted, police said.
The deceased was identified as Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Pyarepur village in Barabanki. He was returning after dropping passengers at Lucknow airport when the incident occurred around 6 am in the Safdarganj police station area, approximately 33 kilometres from the district headquarters.
According to Superintendent of Police Raveen Tyagi, passers-by noticed the burning vehicle and rushed to the spot but were unable to rescue the driver as the flames had already engulfed the car.
Kumar’s charred remains were found on the driver’s seat, according to the initial police account. Authorities identified him through the vehicle’s registration number.
The circumstances that led to the fire remain unclear, and the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be established.
Police are expected to investigate how the fire broke out while the vehicle was moving and whether the driver had an opportunity to escape before the flames spread. Further details were awaited.
