Kamal Ghorui
BENGALURU: A routine night turned into a nightmare in the early hours of Friday near Kurubarahalli, as a speeding, overloaded trailer truck went out of control and rammed into a parked MUV, triggering a massive blaze that claimed the life of a 23-year-old man. The incident occurred around 1.20am within the limits of the Rajajinagar Traffic Police Station. According to police, the trailer truck loaded with steel and travelling from Andhra Pradesh towards Sunkadakatte in west Bengaluru, lost control while navigating a slope near Kurubarahalli. The driver is believed to have entered a restricted route meant to keep heavy vehicles off the stretch. Residents said he was following Google Maps, but police are yet to confirm this. What followed was a chain reaction. The truck slammed into a CNG-powered MUV parked near a scrap godown, dragging it for nearly 100 metres before crashing into a rajakaluve wall. The impact sparked a fire that rapidly spread to the MUV, the truck, and a nearby godown filled with scrap materials, turning the area into an inferno within minutes. Trapped inside the MUV was Ambadas (23), a resident of Kurubarahalli and a native of Kalaburagi, who was reportedly waiting for a trip through an aggregator app. With no chance to escape, he was burnt alive in the raging fire. Firefighters rushed to the spot with five to six fire tenders and battled the flames for hours. Officials said retrieving the body was extremely challenging due to the intensity of the blaze, requiring cranes to clear the mangled remains. The truck driver, identified as Sharma, sustained minor injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital under police custody. Family members said Ambadas, a cab driver, had recently purchased the vehicle on loan and was working day and night to pay his monthly EMIs. His family had been planning his marriage this year. He had left home after 9pm that night. Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah, who visited the spot, termed it a “major disaster” and flagged the issue of heavy vehicles entering restricted roads. Rajajinagar traffic police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
