Jagran correspondent, Etawah. A fire broke out after two trucks collided due to fog at 2 o'clock on Thursday night, a hundred meters before the Pakka Bagh over bridge on the Kanpur-Etawah Highway. Trapped in the cabin, the driver burnt alive and died on the spot.
Friends Colony police station and fire brigade reached the spot on the information of 112 and brought the fire under control after about one and a half hour of hard work. Due to the accident and arson, the wheels of vehicles following on the highway stopped at various places and there was a long traffic jam.
After the fire was completely extinguished, the police cleared the road and started traffic after about two and a half hours. The speed of the truck during the accident was about 60 kilometers per hour.
The truck driver who was burnt alive has been identified as Lovely alias Jaskirat Singh (45), resident of Khaja Kheda, District Sirsa, Haryana. Jaskirat used to drive a car of Robin Road Lines of Sirsa, Haryana and on Wednesday, he was going to Varanasi with the company's 20 wheeler truck carrying gypsum soil used in making cement from Ahlanabad, Haryana.
Fellow driver Jagjit Singh, resident of Sirsa, told that Lovely alias Jaskirat was driving the truck in front, while he was walking behind him. As soon as they reached around the Pakka Pakka Bagh over bridge, the car of friend Jaskirat collided with the salt-laden trolley truck of Rajasthan number running ahead due to sudden application of brakes.
Jagjit also told that Jaskirat tried to cut his truck completely to avoid the collision, but due to lack of visibility due to fog, the vehicle had reached very close, due to which the driver's side of the truck collided with force and immediately after the collision, his truck suddenly caught fire.
Before he could do anything, the fire became huge and engulfed the entire cabin of the truck. Due to which his companion Jaskirat could not even get out of the truck and died due to burning alive.
Jagjit told that he immediately informed on dial 112 on which the police reached the spot after about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, the fire brigade vehicle also reached the spot and the work of extinguishing the fire was started, but due to the explosion of the diesel tank of the truck due to the collision, the fire did not subside and the fire could not be extinguished after about one and a half to two and a quarter hours.
Fire brigade personnel had to call three fire brigade vehicles one after the other to the spot. After the accident, the driver of the truck loaded with salt fled from the spot.