GHAZIABAD: A Tata Safari heading towards Delhi caught fire on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Dasna on Tuesday. The driver managed to jump out of the SUV just in time to save his life.
The flames were extinguished within about 20 minutes, and a short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire. Manav Banerjee, a businessman from Dehradun, was driving alone to Delhi when he noticed smoke coming from the bonnet of his car. It was around 1:30 PM when he reached Dasna. Moments after seeing the smoke, the car burst into flames. Banerjee quickly braked, steered the vehicle to the side of the expressway, and jumped out. He also called 112 to inform the police, according to Vivek Yadav, DCP (rural).
Rahul Pal, the chief fire officer (CFO), reported that a fire team arrived at the scene within 15 minutes of receiving the call. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes. “There was a brief traffic snarl, but the road was cleared soon after. We used a crane to remove the charred SUV from the road,” he added.
Rahul Pal noted that over 35 vehicles caught fire in the city in the first five months of this year. He advised against driving vehicles for extended periods in high temperatures, which can reach 45 degrees. Overheating can lead to engine leaks and fires, especially if the radiator has insufficient coolant. He also recommended avoiding parking vehicles directly under the sun to prevent fires.
On May 19, a Renault Triber (U FF/7531) belonging to Vijay Kumar Mittal caught fire on the expressway near Indirapuram, but the driver also managed to escape in time.
Additionally, on June 2, a fire broke out in a plot in the Noida Phase-1 area, gutting as many as 35 cars. Although there were no casualties, the fire department took around two hours to douse the flames.
