Pune, August 17, 2023: A potentially catastrophic incident was averted on the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway in the Balewadi area of Pune today, as a Renault car burst into flames. At approximately 12 pm, the car caught fire near the service road, prompting all five occupants to evacuate the vehicle in a timely manner, ensuring their safety.
The occupants of the car were identified as Rituraj Patil and Tanmay Shelke, both students at MIT College in Kothrud. The duo had embarked on a sightseeing trip to Lonavala on August 16, having rented the Renault car for their excursion. Tanmay was behind the wheel during the journey.
The chain of events leading to the fire began on the morning of August 17 when an unusual noise emanated from the car’s bonnet. Tanmay decided to pull over and inspect the situation, revealing that the bonnet had become loose. While en route to Kothrud on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, the group noticed a strong burning odor near Wakad.
As they diverted towards Balewadi along the highway, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the car’s bonnet. Reacting swiftly, all occupants managed to exit the vehicle moments before it became engulfed in flames. In an attempt to control the fire, they used water from a nearby tea stall. However, the flames intensified due to the ignition of petrol, resulting in the car being completely consumed by fire. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained by any of the passengers.
Local fire authorities were alerted to the scene, with fire station officer Shivji Memane leading a team of firefighters, including Kisan Tarpade, Chandrakant Burud, assistant Saurabh Parkhi, Vishal Madhe, and driver Shubham Karande. Their prompt response and efforts successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage.
Despite the swift response of the fire department, the car was ultimately reduced to ashes, attracting a crowd of onlookers and leading to significant traffic congestion in the area. An ongoing investigation, led by Assistant Inspector Rajkumar Kendre of Chaturshringi Police Station, is aimed at determining the cause of the fire and any contributing factors.
