Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Mosquito incense sticks lead to a fire inside a car, leading to the death of a man in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district, as reported on Saturday.
The mishap occurred in the Sihora area of Jabalpur where a man was engulfed by the flames after his old SUV car caught fire.
Police said the blaze was likely caused by an incense stick lit to drive away mosquitoes.
The incident took place around 6 am in Ward No. 3 of the Sihora police station area.
Victim was mentally unstable
According to preliminary information, the man, who was believed to be mentally unstable, had been living inside an old Scorpio vehicle for some time. He reportedly survived by collecting garbage and plastic waste.
Police said the man had lit an incense stick inside the vehicle to keep mosquitoes away.
However, the car was filled with plastic, paper and other waste materials he had collected. The highly flammable items quickly caught fire, causing the vehicle to go up in flames within minutes.
The fire spread rapidly and soon engulfed the entire vehicle. Due to the intense blaze, the man got trapped inside and died a painful death.
The flames also spread to a nearby hut and a small shop and damaged the same.
After receiving information about the fire, the fire brigade rushed to the spot and managed to bring the flames under control. By the time the fire was extinguished, the Scorpio car had been completely burnt.
Police officials said the victim’s identity has not yet been confirmed. Officers are questioning local residents in an attempt to identify the deceased.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Police said they are examining all aspects of the incident to confirm the exact cause of the fire.
