Delhi-Mumbai Expressway fire: 5 family members killed after cab catches fire in Alwar district

Five members of a family returning from the Vaishno Devi Temple died after their taxi caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Alwar district late Wednesday night, police said.

The victims, residents of Sheopur, were found charred inside the vehicle by the time emergency teams reached the spot. A patrol team from the National Highways Authority of India alerted the fire brigade, which later extinguished the blaze. The bodies were sent to the Alwar District Hospital for post-mortem.

Police identified the deceased as Santosh Kumar (35), his wife Shashi (33), her mother Parvati (50), and their daughter Ragni (13). A fifth woman in the car is yet to be identified.

The driver, Vinod Kumar Mehar, managed to jump out of the burning vehicle and was initially taken to a local hospital before being referred to Jaipur for further treatment.

According to police, the family had hired the taxi for a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi. The cause of the fire is under investigation.