6 Friends From Haryana Burnt To Death After Car Crashes, Catches Fire On Highway

The festive night of Diwali turned grim for six families from Haryana's Hansi district after six friends burnt to death as their car caught fire after a horrific crash while they were travelling to Haridwar to take a holy dip in the Ganga river.

The incident happened during the early hours of Monday in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district. The friends, six men, were on their way to the temple town on the occasion of Somvati Amavasya.

They were reportedly speeding at around 120 kmph when the accident happened. The car first hit an electricity pole, rammed a road divider before turtling onto the opposite carriageway, according to the initial probe. The car caught fire almost immediately after the accident, leaving little scope for the six of them to escape. 

The impact was so severe that the electricity pole snapped in two and nearly 10 metres of the road divider was damaged. The overturned car quickly turned into a ball of fire, trapping the occupants inside.

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The accident occurred around 4:50 am near Jaggaheri, which falls under the jurisdiction of Titawi police station on the Panipat-Khatima National Highway in Muzaffarnagar.

After receiving the information, the police and fire brigade rushed to the spot. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly an hour before the blaze was under control. However, by then, the vehicle was completely destroyed, and all six occupants had died.

The severely burnt bodies were sent for post-mortem, and the wreckage of the car was later removed with the help of a crane. The accident also triggered a massive traffic jam on the highway.

Who Are The Victims

All six victims-identified as Sahil (20), Rahul (23), and Aman, Ajay, and two youths named Ankit, all aged 21-hailed from Rakhi Garhi and nearby villages in Hansi. All of them were close friends. 

Aman and Ajay, both residents of Moth Luhari village, were students. Of the two namesakes, Ankit, son of Rajesh, was also a student, while Ankit, son of Samunder, hailed from Rakhi Garhi and worked as an AC and refrigerator repair mechanic. The latter's brother, Rahul, worked as a gas welder and mason. The two brothers were working to support their family as their father, who used to work as a daily-wage labourer, had been unwell and bedridden for nearly two years, said their uncle. Their death has left the family without any support. Their uncle added that both the brothers had left home around midnight without telling them where they were going. 

Sahil's father, Som Kumar, said that his son borrowed the car from a relative just a couple of days back and had left home with his friends at around 12:30 am on Monday. He said that they had told their families they were going to Gurugram. 

What Police Said

Muzaffarnagar SP (Rural) Akshay Sanjay Mahadik confirmed that the police received information about the accident early Monday morning. 

According to the police, Titawi police station was alerted around 4:50 am on November 9 that a car had crashed and caught fire on the flyover just past the Jaggaheri toll plaza after colliding with an electricity pole and the road divider.