Car goes up in flames near CM Siddaramaiah's residence; alert driver averts fire accident & traffic jam

Bengaluru: A car driver’s presence of mind averted a major fire accident and a traffic jam during the Friday morning rush hour, just a stone’s throw from the official residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, officials said. 

Sachin, a software professional from Koramangala, was travelling to the sub-registrar’s office in Ganganagar in his Fiat Linea, driven by his chauffer Venkatesh. 

As they neared the Windsor Manor bridge — about 200 metres from the chief minister’s residence — the driver noticed smoke in the car’s engine. He immediately pulled over into the service road near the bridge, and both of them got off. This caused minimal disruption to the traffic on Sankey Road. 

The car caught fire as soon as the driver lifted the bonnet to determine the source of the smoke. Sachin managed to retrieve documents and personal belongings from the car, officials said. 

Police personnel deployed near the roundabout rushed to the scene and removed the car. 

An officer from the High Grounds police station said that the car’s tyre and diesel tank had exploded and that an investigation was underway into what had caused it. 

The fire force dispatched a vehicle after receiving a phone call at 11.22 am. “The fire was doused by 11.45 am. It seems to be a case of short circuit,” an officer said. “It was an old Fiat car, probably 15 years or older.”