Four friends charred to death in Madhya Pradesh after car hits divider, catches fire

Four youngsters in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district were charred to death and another was critically injured after the vehicle they were travelling in hit a divider before catching fire, police said on Monday.

The incident took place around 11.30pm on Sunday on a four-lane highway in Badnawar, near a dhaba between Sadalpur and Kherod. The sole survivor is in a critical condition, the police said.

“The five friends were returning after visiting the Sanwariya Seth temple. On their way back, their vehicle hit the divider of a culvert. The impact was so severe that the vehicle fell off the culvert and caught fire,” a police officer said.

One of the occupants was thrown out of the vehicle, the officer said. The fire spread rapidly, leaving no chance for the remaining to escape, the officer added.

On learning about the incident, a police team and a fire engine rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The bodies were subsequently sent for an autopsy.

A case has been registered and a probe is underway, the officer added.

The deceased were identified as Ankush Chaudhary (20), Chetan Chaudhary (20), and Aditya Tiwari (19), all of whom were residents of Badi Sagaur, and Abhishek Solanki (21), a resident of Suhagpur, Sagaur.

The injured – Tushar Mandloi (20), resident of Madhopur, Sagaur – was referred to Indore after primary treatment and is believed to be in a critical condition, the officer quoted above said.