Police said that the identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained. (representative image)
Coimbatore:
A man sitting in a car was burnt to death when the gas cylinder fitted in the vehicle exploded and the subsequent fire engulfed him in the city’s Ukkad area in the early hours of Sunday, police said.
He said the identity of the deceased was yet to be ascertained.
Police said all shops around the Kottai Easwaran temple were closed and a large number of police personnel have been deployed in the area. Being a communally sensitive area, tense situation prevails there.
ADGP P Thamarai Kannan visited the spot and reviewed the situation. Talking to reporters, he said that the process of gathering evidence is on and a clear picture will emerge by evening. Six special teams have been formed to probe the matter.
He said preliminary reports suggest that the explosion occurred due to gas leak from the cylinder, soon after which the vehicle overtook the speed breaker at high speed.
Police said forensic experts reached the spot. Experts are reviewing whether the car was running on gas or whether the cylinder was simply present in the vehicle, among other things.
Police said that the car is registered in Pollachi.