Teenage girl charred to death after van catches fire

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A16-year-old girl got charred to death while seven of her relatives sustained injuries when their van toppled and caught fire after a speeding car rammed into it.

The incident occurred around 10 pm on the Tumakuru-Bengaluru stretch of the National Highway48 near Bangalore International Exhibition Centre in Madanayakanahalli limits on Sunday night.

The identity of the deceased girl was established as Divya. The other injured were her family- grandparents, parents, uncle and siblings.

The family were travelling in a Maruti Omni van, the police said. The family members are said to be residents of Dasarahalli and were returning after paying a visit to one of their relatives in Dasanapura.

A speeding Maruti Suzuki Baleno hatchback car crashed into the back of the Omni, sending the van toppling over.

"The van must have toppled three to four times before it stopped on its side. The crash led to a petrol leak, which caused the van to burst into flames. As the fire spread, Divya was burnt alive while the others were rescued and admitted to the hospital by locals," the police further said.

Shanthilal, 65, Manjula, 65, Mahesh, 46, Tharun, 43, Sunitha, 39, Naman, 20, and Mayank, 19, suffered varying degrees of burns and were rescued by a few passersby motorists.

It was revealed that there were four people travelling in a Maruti Baleno.

"Two of them are in the hospital under treatment, while the other two are absconding," the police added. The Nelamangala traffic police have registered a case against the Baleno car driver and are on a manhunt to arrest him.