Hyderabad: A software engineer had a narrow escape when the car he was driving caught fire at Hayathnagar on Friday. He immediately stopped to a side and exited.
According to the Hayathnagar police, Mr Vijay Rahul, working at Wipro, was travelling towards the Outer Ring Road in a car (TS09 EZ 7989) from Hayathnagar. When the car reached RTC Colony, Mr Rahul noticed a fire in the car, stopped it and called the fire control room.
The car caught fire within minutes. Fire fighters from the Hayathnagar station rushed to the spot and doused the the blaze but the car was gutted.
Hayathnagar fire station station house officer B. Sreenaiah said the emergency call was received at 9.30 am on Friday and fire fighters rushed to the spot. The damage was estimated at Rs 6 lakh. An official said the fire was caused by mechanical heat.
To prevent a fire, Telangana Four Wheeler Driver’s Association state president Shaikh Salauddin advised occupants to leave the vehicle as soon as possible if they notice smoke or flames or smell burning rubber or plastic.
“Have your car serviced regularly by a professionally trained mechanic. If you spot leaks, your car is not running properly, get it checked. A well-maintained car is less likely to catch fire,” he said. He advised against parking a car where flammables touch the catalytic converter which become very hot. “Cracked or loose wiring or electrical problems, must be checked,” he said.
