Jabalpur, June 14 (IANS) Two persons were burnt alive after a speeding dumper truck allegedly dragged their car for nearly 500 metres before the vehicle caught fire on the Jabalpur-Mandla highway in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district, police said.

The accident occurred near Sharda Temple in Barela town, about 30 km from Jabalpur city, on Saturday evening.

According to preliminary information from the police, the dumper rammed into the car, causing it to become wedged beneath the heavy vehicle.

Instead of stopping after the collision, the driver allegedly continued driving, dragging the car along the road for nearly half a kilometre.

The car reportedly struck another vehicle during the dragging and soon burst into flames.

Within minutes, the fire engulfed the entire vehicle, trapping both occupants inside.

Local residents rushed to the spot and attempted to rescue the victims, but the intensity of the blaze prevented any intervention.

Both occupants died on the spot, according to the police.

Police and fire brigade teams reached the spot shortly after receiving information and extinguished the fire.

However, by then the victims had been charred to death.

A police official said the bodies were severely burnt, making immediate identification difficult.

“The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and efforts are underway to establish their identities,” a police official said.

The car was completely gutted in the blaze, and investigators are examining its remains to ascertain ownership and other details.

According to preliminary findings, the dumper driver fled the spot after the accident.

Police have launched a search operation to trace and arrest him.

“The dumper has been identified and teams have been deployed to locate the driver. Further investigation is underway,” the official added.

The incident led to traffic disruption on the busy Jabalpur-Mandla route for some time as a large number of people gathered at the accident site.

Traffic was later restored after police cleared the damaged vehicles from the road.

Police said the exact sequence of events and cause of the accident would be established after a detailed investigation.

Further detailed information regarding the incident is awaited.

–IANS

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