Driver charred to death in truck fire after crash on Rewa-Sidhi road

Bhopal: A 36-year-old truck driver was burnt to death after his cement-laden vehicle overturned and caught fire near Gahri Pakra village on the Rewa-Sidhi road late on Friday night. Police said the driver got trapped inside the cabin and could not escape as flames rapidly engulfed the vehicle following the crash.

According to police, the truck was travelling from Barigwan towards a Birla plant in Satna when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle around 2 am. The truck first rammed into a mango tree before overturning on the roadside. Soon after the accident, the vehicle caught fire and within minutes the blaze spread across the truck.

Passers-by alerted Dial 112 and local police after spotting the burning vehicle. A team from Gudh police station rushed to the spot and initiated rescue efforts, but the driver had already died by then.

Police identified the deceased as Brijesh Gautam, a resident of Satohari Dhanha village in Sidhi. His body was later sent for post-mortem examination.

The accident also disrupted traffic movement on the Rewa-Sidhi road for some time before the damaged vehicle was removed. Police suspect the driver may have dozed off at the wheel, leading to the accident, though further investigations are under way to ascertain the exact cause of the crash.