Daijiworld Media Network - Agra

Agra, Jan 2: In a tragic accident triggered by dense fog, a truck driver was burnt alive after two heavy vehicles collided on the Agra–Etawah–Kanpur six-lane highway in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred late Thursday night near the Pakka Bagh overbridge on National Highway-2. According to police, a truck transporting gypsum from Ahlanabad in Haryana to Varanasi rammed into another truck ahead after the latter applied sudden brakes due to poor visibility caused by thick fog.

Following the collision, the gypsum-laden truck caught fire, which rapidly spread to the cabin. The driver was trapped inside and was engulfed by the flames, dying on the spot before rescue teams could reach him.

Passersby alerted the police and fire brigade, after which three fire tenders were rushed to the scene. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly an hour before bringing it under control. By then, the truck’s cabin had been completely gutted.

The accident and the subsequent firefighting operation disrupted traffic on the busy highway for several hours. After the fire was extinguished, police recovered the charred remains of the driver from the burnt cabin.

The deceased was identified as Jaskirat Singh alias Lovely, a resident of Sirsa in Haryana, with the help of another truck driver who was travelling behind the vehicles involved in the accident.

Police said the mishap occurred as the following driver had little time to react when the truck ahead braked suddenly in dense fog. A crane was later deployed to remove the burnt vehicle from the road, following which traffic was restored.

The body has been sent for postmortem examination after completing necessary legal formalities, police added.