Punjab Newsline | Patiala
A major fire broke out in a moving canter on the Rajpura–Patiala National Highway, destroying branded goods worth lakhs of rupees and leaving a 21-year-old driver critically injured.
According to Road Safety Force (SSF) in-charge Bhupinder Singh, the canter was transporting nearly three tons of cargo from a warehouse in Ambala to Bathinda. The vehicle was loaded with branded clothing, footwear and valuable spare parts from well-known companies.
The incident occurred near a bridge close to Chetanya Techno School on the Rajpura–Patiala road when the vehicle suddenly caught fire. The flames spread rapidly, giving driver Ayush Verma, 21, little time to react.
Officials said the canter struck the road divider, causing the door to open. Verma managed to jump out of the vehicle and save his life, but sustained severe burn injuries in the process.
An SSF team rushed to the spot and immediately shifted the injured driver to the Government Hospital in Rajpura. Due to the seriousness of his condition, doctors later referred him to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, where he remains under treatment.
Workers from the company reached the site and confirmed that around three tonnes of goods were being transported in the vehicle. Preliminary reports indicate that the entire consignment was gutted in the fire.
Authorities also received reports that some opportunistic individuals allegedly took away goods from the scene during the chaos. Meanwhile, the company is sending surveyors to assess the extent of the damage and determine the total financial loss.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established, and further investigation is underway.
