Kerala: In a ghastly accident, a pregnant woman and her husband were charred to death when their car suddenly caught fire in Kerala’s Kannur town.
The accident occurred minutes before the woman was to be admitted to the district government hospital for delivery. The victims were identified as Prajith (32) and wife Reesha (26).
Six people were travelling in the car, a 2020 Maruti S-Presso. Four in the back seat, including a child, escaped but the couple in the front couldn't open the doors and were trapped, apparently because the doors got jammed.
Four people seated on the backseat were saved
Onlookers who rushed to the car managed to force open the rear door and saved the four other occupants who were accompanying the couple. They were admitted to hospital with minor injuries.
Fire engines managed to douse the fire, but by that time the couple had already perished. Eyewitnesses said the couple screamed for help, but the rescuers could not approach the car due to the blaze and the intense heat.
“We were helpless as the front side of the car was on fire. We could not do much as we feared that the oil tank would explode any time,” an eyewitness told local TV channels.
The police said they were investigating the cause of the fire and that the car is being examined by technical experts.
