Three of a family burnt alive as car catches fire in MP

Three family members, including a child, were burnt alive, while two others sustained critical burn injuries when their car caught fire after falling into a roadside pit in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh around midnight on Saturday.

According to police, the mishap occurred near Kelwari Square on the Baihar-Malajkhand road at around 11.50 pm.

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Police said Seetam Kelkar (30), a resident of Paraswada, who owns a welding shop at Pauni in Malajkhand, had come to his village two days ago along with his wife and son.

On Saturday night, Seetam was returning to Pauni with his wife, son, parents, and the daughter of a neighbour in a hatchback car, which he himself was driving.

He lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and fell into a roadside ditch. The vehicle immediately caught fire, trapping all the occupants inside.

Some passers-by who saw the mishap broke the burning car’s window panes and managed to rescue three occupants. However, the remaining three occupants could not be extricated in time, as the flames had engulfed the entire vehicle.

People informed the police and the fire brigade about the incident. The police reached the spot along with firefighters, but by that time the car had been completely burnt down.

According to ASP Adarshkant Shukla, the police and firefighters managed to extricate the severely charred bodies of the three deceased from the car. They were identified as Seetam’s father, Nagarchi Kelkar (65), his wife Savita (28), and their son Abhi (3).

Seetam and his mother, Nanabai Kelkar (60), were rescued with severe burn wounds and referred to a hospital in nearby Gondia in Maharashtra. The sixth occupant of the car, Poorvi Rahangdale (8), daughter of a neighbour, was also rescued with minor injuries.