Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
A 25-year-old man was burnt alive after his Scorpio collided with a tipper loaded with sand on the Amritsar-Tarn Taran bypass near Manawala on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Gurinder Singh, a resident of Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district.
According to the police, Gurinder was travelling from Tarn Taran towards Amritsar to purchase material for his work in PVC fittings for houses. His Scorpio collided with the tipper that was travelling ahead of him.
Following the collision, both vehicles caught fire. Gurinder became trapped inside the Scorpio and could not be rescued due to the intensity of the flames.
Soon after the accident, commuters, roadside eatery operators and police personnel tried to extinguish the fire. They used motors, water pipes and tanks used for pesticide spraying, but their efforts failed to bring the flames under control.
Police officer Harjit Singh said the tipper driver fled the scene after the accident. A fire tender was eventually called from Tarn Taran, as the fire engine in Amritsar was reportedly out of order.
The delay in the arrival of the fire brigade has angered local residents, who have demanded a permanent fire station and emergency services on the bypass to deal with accidents and fires promptly.
Police have taken custody of Gurinder's body and initiated further legal proceedings.
