Last week on 30th January, a Volkswagen Vento caught fire on the streets of Pune causing severe burns to its occupant. Mr. Kailash Gupta who was trapped in the vehicle could not escape in time as his seatbelt got jammed. Kailash Gupta, 39, was rescued from his burning car by bystanders, who managed to cut the seat belt and free him from the burning Vento.
Unfortunately, Gupta suffered 60% burns to his face, legs and hands. He was admitted to Surya Hospital since the accident, and succumbed to his injuries on the 6th February at 4:30 PM. Officials from Surya Hospital and Deccan Gymkhana Police Station, where the FIR registered, have confirmed his demise. Volkswagen has the burnt car in their custody and is carrying out investigations into the cause of fire, but has not yet submitted the final report. We are awaiting a reply from Volkswagen India.
Team-BHP user, nawalsingal, claiming to be a relative of Mr Gupta, broke the tragic news on the popular Indian auto forum on the same day. In his update on 6th Feb, nawalsingal said: “The Vento owner, of the car that caught fire last week on FC Road, died today at 4 PM & happen to be my relative. From the facts gathered so far, the door & seat bolt got jammed & no, nothing to do with panic of driver. Even rescuers couldn’t open the belts & doors & had to cut the seat belts to take that person out, thereby consuming precious time & aggravating the severity of the burns, ultimately resulting in the sad & untimely death. Shall VW clarify the exact cause of the fire & remedial measures. P.S. Please suggest the way forward to deal with VW? Shall be going for the funeral tomorrow & share more details of the incident.”
Also see – Volkswagen Vento bursts into flames in India, owner suffers 60% burns
