Women, 2 daughters die after car catches fire in Delhi

A 34-year-old woman and her two minor daughters were charred to death on Sunday after their car caught fire near Akshardham flyover in east Delhi, police said. The vehicle was approaching Akshardham metro station when the incident occurred, they said.

A call about the blaze was received at 6.33 pm, after which four fire engines and a disaster management team were rushed to the spot. Fire officials with the help of people managed to break open the window of the car and remove the charred bodies, a senior official of Delhi Fire Service said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Jasmeet Singh said, investigations revealed that Upender, who was driving the car, managed to get out of the vehicle with one of his daughters who was sitting in the front seat next to him. "However, his wife and other two daughters who were sitting in the rear seat could not come out of the vehicle," the officer said, adding Upender and his seven-year-old daughter managed to escape without a scratch but they are in a state of trauma.

The probable cause of the fire appears to be CNG kit. The two girls who died in the incident were two and five years old, the DCP said.

(With inputs from agencies.)