NEW DELHI: Four employees of a private firm were charred to death and five others sustained burn injuries after their company vehicle caught fire near Pune on Wednesday morning, police said.
The casualties occurred as the emergency exit at the rear of the minibus failed to open, an official said.
The incident took place around 7.30 am in Hinjewadi’s Pimpri Chinchwad area while the minibus was transporting 12 employees of Vyoma Graphics from Warje to Hinjewadi. According to police, the fire started near the driver’s feet when the vehicle was near Dassault Systemes.
As the flames spread to the front, four employees managed to escape, while those at the rear struggled to open the emergency exit.
“Preliminary findings suggest that some employees failed to evacuate as the exit door did not open. Four of them were charred to death, while five sustained burn injuries,” said Hinjewadi police station’s senior inspector Kanhaiya Thorat.
Hinjewadi Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad said the bodies were retrieved from the vehicle, and the injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
