Rush Hour Panic as Moving Car Bursts into Flames
A routine drive turned into a nightmare scenario when a Tata Indica car suddenly caught fire while moving along the busy Vashi-Koparkhairane road in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred near the popular D-Mart store at Koparkhairane, creating panic among commuters and local residents.
The driver of the burning vehicle, identified as Satish Bansode (41), managed to save himself by quickly parking his car. However, in his panicked state, he parked dangerously close to a stationary Kia Sonnet SUV, which led to the fire rapidly spreading to the adjacent vehicle.
Emergency Response and Damage Assessment
The Koparkhairane fire station received an emergency call at 4:00 PM, and their rescue team demonstrated remarkable efficiency by reaching the accident spot within just 5 minutes. According to Prashant Gole, the fire station officer, the situation was already critical when they arrived.
"The Tata Indica was completely engulfed in flames when we reached," Gole stated. "Despite our immediate efforts to douse the fire, the car was completely charred. Unfortunately, the fire had already spread to the Kia Sonnet SUV parked nearby, causing partial damage before we could contain the blaze."
Firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading further, potentially averting a larger disaster in the densely populated area.
Legal Consequences and Investigation Findings
Umesh Gavali, senior inspector of Koparkhairane police station, revealed that preliminary investigation points to illegal CNG kit installation as the root cause of the fire. "The gasket of the CNG cylinder ruptured, leading to the fire outbreak in Bansode's car," Gavali explained.
The investigation confirmed that Bansode, an electrician on contract with MSEDCL, had fitted the CNG cylinder in his vehicle without following mandatory safety regulations. The parked SUV that suffered damage in the incident belongs to Dr. Archana Wani (51).
In a significant development, authorities have registered an FIR against Bansode under the newly implemented Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS). The charges include:
- BNS sections 125 and 324(2) for endangering lives through rash behavior and mischief
- Motor Vehicle Act sections 52 and 182(a)(4) for illegal vehicle alteration and dangerous driving
This case represents one of the early applications of the new BNS provisions in vehicle-related offenses, highlighting the stricter legal approach toward road safety violations.
