20160423 India Ten of family have narrow escape after SUV catches fire
India Apr 22 2016 “Automobile & Railway”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Ten of family have narrow escape after SUV catches fire
Updated: 2016-04-23-02:49
Ten members of a family heading to Gingee in what was to all appearances a sturdy SUV, and not a tinder box, had a very close shave when a blaze engulfed the vehicle on 100 Feet Road on Friday afternoon.
Showing alacrity in a crisis, the man at the wheel, Gajendran, seeing smoke billow out of the AC vents, warned the other occupants of the SUV and they abandoned the vehicle and ran for cover before fire consumed the vehicle.
Firemen and two fire tenders from the Guindy and Ashok Pillar fire stations rushed to the spot and battled for 30 minutes to douse the blaze. But for all their efforts, the fire left the vehicle gutted.
Police officers investigating the case suspect a short circuit in the SUV’s airconditioner could have caused the fire. Fire officers described the blaze as unusual and said regular and proper servicing of a motor vehicle would usually preclude such a fire.
Traffic came to a halt for close to half an hour on the stretch near Kasi theatre where the SUV went up in flames.
Autorickshaw drivers in the vicinity attempted to put out the blaze by throwing buckets of water on the SUV before the firemen arrived, but to no avail.
The accident left the family – seven women, two children and the man driving the vehicle – in a state of shock but thankful for staying safe. They told police they were on their way to attend a funeral.
“It was hard to calm the women and children,” a fire services officer said.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Ten-of-family-have-narrow-escape-after-SUV-catches-fire/articleshow/51950669.cms