Three women charred to death as car rams into fuel tank of truck in Rajkot

The women, residents of Dera Sheri locality at Gondal town, were on their way to Surendranagar to attend a condolence meeting when they met with the accident.

THREE WOMEN of a family, who were on their way to Surendranagar to attend a condolence meeting, were killed after their car caught fire following a collision with a truck near Gondal town on National Highway 27 early Saturday morning, police said. The car driver and the truck driver escaped unhurt, they added.

The car hit the truck loaded with cotton at Biliyala village on NH 27, police said. Rasikba Raijada (70), her daughter-in-law Miraba (52), and nephew’s wife Rekhaba (57) died on the spot, police said.

The women, residents of Dera Sheri locality at Gondal town, were on their way to Surendranagar to attend a condolence meeting when they met with the accident. Miraba’s husband Maheshsinh, who was driving the car, escaped with minor injuries, police said.

“The car had hit the fuel tank of the truck that was approaching the highway from Biliyala village. After the crash, the car driver managed to get out of the vehicle and tried to open the rear door to rescue the women. However, the fuel tank blew off and flung Maheshsinh away even as the car and the truck turned into fireballs. The women were charred to death inside the car,” Rambhai Chavda, police sub-inspector of Gondal Taluka police station, told The Sunday Express.

Chavda said the incident took place around 7.30 am on Saturday. “Soon firefighters from Gondal town reached the spot and started firefighting operations. But the women could not be rescued and died on the spot. The firefighters managed to douse the fire after around two hours,” said the PSI.

He added two vehicles involved in the incident were gutted and the cotton consignment loaded on the truck, too, was reduced to ashes. “However, the truck driver escaped unhurt and fled the spot after the incident,” the PSI said.

Police are in the process of registering an offence, Chavda added. Police said Maheshsinh runs a milk parlour at Dera Sheri area and his father retired from the state government service.

In November last year, seven members of a family from Patan district were charred to death after their van caught fire following a collision with a truck near Kherva village in Dhrangadhra taluka of Surendranagar district.

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