Vehicles catching fire a matter of concern; committee constituted to study reasons: Kerala govt

The frequent incidents of vehicles catching fire in Kerala in recent days is a matter of concern and a committee has been constituted to study the reasons for the same, the state government said in the assembly on Wednesday.

State Transport Minister Antony Raju said the decision to constitute a committee comprising experts from the road safety commission, police and other officials was taken subsequent to an urgent meeting held on the issue by him on August 17.

The panel, constituted on August 28, has been asked to submit a report within two months, he said.

The minister was responding to UDF MLA Anoop Jacob calling attention to the issue of frequent incidents of vehicles catching fire in the state and the deaths as a result of that.

Jacob said there should be a proper study on what kind of vehicles -- diesel, petrol, LPG, CNG or electric -- are catching fire and the reasons for the same.

Raju said that in the meeting of experts in the transportation sector, transport department officials, vehicle manufacturers, insurance surveyors and car dealers, several causes were identified as being the reasons for the fire. These causes ranged from man-made issues -- like illegal fittings, electronic failures and electrical circuit problems, he said.

The minister said illegal fittings, to make a low variant vehicle into a high variant, was identified as one of the major causes for the fire.

He said that it was opined in the meeting that such fitments should be discouraged and the establishments carrying out such fittings need to be regulated and also held responsible.

Raju said that car dealers have been instructed to make buyers aware about the dangers of going for such illegal fitments. Further steps would be taken based on the report of the expert committee, he added.

In August, a 35-year-old man was charred to death after his car suddenly caught fire as the vehicle was entering the compound of his home in Alappuzha district of the state.

In the same month, a 57-year-old man died a few days after suffering grievous burns after his moving car caught fire in Kottayam district.

Prior to that in February, in a tragic incident, a pregnant woman and her husband were charred to death when the car in which they were travelling caught fire near the district government hospital in Kannur.