4 MRs charred to death as van catches fire in mishap

Sep. 9th, 2008

SHAHDOL: FOUR people were charred to death on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday when the car they were travelling in burst into flames after hitting the wall of a culvert. The Maruti van was fitted with LPG kit which exploded on the impact of the collision. It is reported that all the deceased were Medical Representatives (MRs) and were returning from work. The accident occurred near village Jamunia on NH-78, seven kilometres from the district headquarters.

As per information, the MRs were returning after visiting a doctor late in the night. One of the occupants, who was driving, accelerated in an attempt to overtake a truck moving in the same direction. But he lost control and the van collided with the wall of a culvert. After the collision, the gas kit fitted inside the van exploded and within a few minutes, the entire van was reduced to ashes. The accident was reported by a doctor whom the MRs had visited the same day. Travelling on the same route, the doctor saw the burning car and instantly reported the incident to the police who rushed to spot. But by then all four people trapped the van had died. The doctor, who reported the incident, informed the police that the four deceased were MRs. However, as the bodies were badly burnt, identification was not possible. The doctor informed police that out of the four, two were Jabalpur and Satna but their names remained to be ascertained. Two others were identified as Sunil Pandey and Uday Yadav from Shahdol. Police carried out a panchnama and sent the bodies for autopsy. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC. Police have started investigation to identify the remaining deceased and are also looking for the truck that was overtaken by the car. The debris of the burned van has been removed by a rescue team. On the basis of information, the family members of the two from Shahdol have been informed. Efforts are on to trace the whereabouts of the two from Jabalpur and Satna. SHO Vijay Pratap Singh did not respond despite repeated attempts by this newspaper to get more details about the accident. The SHO said he was busy with some urgent work.

[back]