JAIPUR: Five people were charred to death while another was seriously injured after a moving car caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place near Maujpur on Wednesday night when the victims were returning from a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi.
Additional Superintendent of Police Priyanka Raghuvanshi said fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control in 15 minutes, but by then the car was completely gutted.
Three women, a minor girl and a man were among those killed. They were all residents of Sheopur district in Madhya Pradesh.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Jindal said a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. As it was a CNG vehicle, the fire spread fast, leaving the occupants with no time to escape.
"Only skeletal remains were recovered from the vehicle, which have been preserved separately. DNA tests will be conducted to establish their identity," he said.
The car driver, identified as Vinod Kumar Mehar, managed to jump out of the vehicle but sustained around 80 per cent burn injuries. He was initially taken to a nearby health centre and later referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment, officials said.
Further investigation is underway.