Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): A loading vehicle carrying tent supplies caught fire while moving on the Ratlam-Indore four-lane highway at around 4 am on Wednesday.
The vehicle was travelling from Ratlam towards Dharad village when the incident occurred near the Chaupal Sagar complex after it crossed the city limits.
The driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle and reacted immediately. He pulled the vehicle to the roadside and jumped out to save himself. Moments later, the fire intensified and engulfed the entire vehicle.
The tent material loaded in the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed within minutes. The blaze spread rapidly and reduced both the cargo and the vehicle to ashes. The driver escaped unhurt because of his timely response.
After receiving information, police from the Salakhedi outpost and the fire brigade reached the spot. Firefighters worked for around 30 to 45 minutes before bringing the blaze under control. Traffic movement on the four-lane highway remained disrupted during the operation and authorities temporarily halted vehicles.
Salakhedi outpost in-charge Jagdishchandra Yadav confirmed that no casualties occurred and said the incident caused only property loss.
