Wagon R Burns Down Mysteriously, Kills One

Published: Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 17:29 [IST]

A Maruti Suzuki Wagon R caught fire by itself and eventually lead to the death of its owner and driver. The police who are investigating the case are yet to ascertain the reason behind the fire. The person killed in the incident is 52 years old Pawan Kumar Gupta, a marble dealer based in Delhi.

The wagon R has reportedly burst in to flames when Mr Gupta was returning from the India Gandhi International airport on Saturday night. The extent of the fire was so high that mr Gupta's body was entirely charred. Police could identify him only after verifying the car's chassis number with the RTO authorities.

This is probably the first time a Wagon R has been reported to have caught fire. Police are not ruling out foul play as the Wagon R did not have automatic locking systems. Such locking systems do not function when severe heat from fires melt down electric wires. We had earlier reported about how the person in a burning Volkswagen Vento had to be pulled out by breaking open the wind shield as the doors were not opening

Fire officials suspect a spark from the engine could have triggered the Wagon R's fire. Forensic experts are now investigating and the police are awaiting a report before they can continue their investigation. They will also contact Maruti Suzuki to understand if there is a possibility of a fire in a Wagon R.

Instances of cars catching fire have been occurring more frequently in recent times. The biggest culprit in the list is the Tata Nano with more than ten reported incidents both in India as well as in foreign locations. Drivespark had also reported about a Swift DZire burning down earlier last year.