A car caught fire near the Ajronda Chowk on the Delhi-Mathura National Highway in Faridabad. According to Jagran.com, the incident occurred in the early hours on Sunday, January 4. Fortunately, the driver was able to escape the vehicle in time and survive.

Eyewitnesses said thick smoke was initially seen billowing from the car’s bonnet, following which flames rapidly spread and engulfed the vehicle, leaving it completely gutted. The incident caused a brief disruption to traffic on the highway.

Fire brigade teams rushed to the site after being alerted and managed to douse the flames following sustained efforts. Officials have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the fire, though a short circuit or engine overheating is suspected. Police have registered a case and are currently probing the incident.

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Road Trip Turns Into Tragedy On New Year’s Day

In a separate development, five friends, Saransh, Lakshya, Raghav, and Tushar from Jawahar Colony, were on their way to Vrindavan to mark New Year’s Day when a road accident on the highway turned the trip into a tragedy. According to Jagran.com, the residents left home in the early hours of Thursday and first offered prayers at a saints’ gurdwara in NIT-1 before proceeding towards Vrindavan in a Baleno car. Saransh was driving, with Lakshya seated beside him, while Raghav, Tushar and Yatharth occupied the rear seats.

The incident took place after the Neelam Flyover near the Bata Metro station when the car suffered a tyre burst, causing the car to overturn and hit a grill on the road divider. The impact shattered the windshield, and Saransh, who was driving the vehicle, was thrown out, suffering a fatal head injury, leading to his death on the spot. 

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The three passengers in the back seat sustained serious injuries, while Lakshya suffered minor injuries. Bystanders alerted the police, who reached the scene, rescued the injured occupants from the overturned car and shifted all four to the hospital for treatment.

Saransh’s father, Mukesh, said the five were close friends who often travelled together. All were pursuing graduate studies and lived close to each other in Jawahar Colony. Saransh’s body was later handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination at the Badshah Khan Hospital mortuary. According to the preliminary investigation, police officials said that Saransh was not wearing a seat belt, which resulted in his fatal death.