Daijiworld Media Network - Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar, Nov 9: Six members of a family were burnt alive after the car they were travelling in crashed into a road divider and an electricity pole before overturning and catching fire on the Panipat-Khatima highway in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district early Monday morning.

The accident occurred around 4.50 am when the Hyundai Aura was reportedly travelling at high speed and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The car veered across the road, hit the divider and an electricity pole, overturned and caught fire, trapping all six occupants inside.

On receiving information, a police team rushed to the spot and, with the assistance of fire brigade personnel, launched a rescue operation. After bringing the flames under control, rescuers pulled all six occupants out of the badly damaged vehicle and rushed them to a hospital. However, doctors declared them dead.

Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai said all six victims were related and hailed from Narnaul district in Haryana. They were travelling to Haridwar when the accident occurred.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the vehicle may have caught fire after its fuel tank ruptured in the impact. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be established.

The families of the deceased have been informed and are on their way to Muzaffarnagar, police said.

A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory also visited the accident site as part of the investigation.