KOZHIKODE: A 65-year-old man was charred to death when the car he was driving caught fire near Konnad Beach at West Hill in Kozhikode on Friday. Mohandas, a resident of Punnassery in Chellanur, was en route to Vengali from the beach area when his car caught fire, around 12.15 pm.
Though the residents, fishermen and traffic police personnel responded quickly, they could not rescue Mohandas.
Traffic police officers, who were in another vehicle just behind his car, noticed smoke emanating from the rear portion of his four-wheeler and signalled him to pull over.
Though Mohandas stopped the vehicle, the fire engulfed the car instantly. The local residents and fishermen present on the spot made valiant attempts to rescue Mohandas, even managing to open a door. But they were hindered by a jammed seatbelt and an explosion that intensified the blaze.
‘Preliminary probe points to short circuit’
Fire and rescue services personnel from the Beach Fire Station reached the spot by 12.19 pm. However, by the time they extinguished the fire, Mohandas had died. The officers from the Vellayil police station also reached the spot. His body was later shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, for a postmortem examination. The Mobile Forensic Unit is investigating the incident.
Assistant Sub Inspector Deepukumar T, who is part of the investigation team, said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, although preliminary findings point to an electrical short circuit.
“The incident underscores the danger of vehicle fire and the critical need for rapid response and safety measures. Fire accidents in vehicles can happen due to various reasons, but electrical short circuit is the most common one. Short circuits can cause serious damage, lead to fire and even small-scale explosions. Similar incidents have been reported in the district earlier too,” said Deepukumar.
He is survived by wife Sheela and two children -- Shibindas and Anjali P, both residing abroad.