A 39-year-old man escaped unhurt after his SUV caught fire inside the Combined Court Complex on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) in Sathuvachari, Vellore on Wednesday. Police suspect that the accident may have happened due to an electrical short circuit.
Police said N.N., a resident of Thiruninravur near Avadi in Chennai. Satish Kumar had come to Vellore court on Wednesday to meet a lawyer. After the meeting, he started his SUV and found smoke coming out of the bonnet.
Immediately, along with others in the court premises, he managed to push the vehicle outside the court premises on the service lane on the side of the highway. By then the SUV caught fire. The incident took place at around 11.45 am within the limits of Sathuvachari police.
Firefighters put out a fire in a car in front of the Joint District Court at Sathuvachari, Vellore on September 12, 2022. Photo Credit: C. Venkatachalapathy
On receiving information, a seven-member team of firefighters led by their Station Fire Officer (SFO), Vellore, S Karthikeyan reached the spot. It took more than half an hour for firefighters to douse the fire.
However, the vehicle was completely gutted. Traffic was disrupted on the service lane for over an hour due to the incident. Police said the vehicle was a 2010 model and its owner had refurbished the vehicle where some electrical connection may have malfunctioned. Police investigation continues.