Lorry carrying luxury cars catch fire near Poigai, Tamil Nadu; driver escape unharmed

VELLORE(Tamil Nadu): A container lorry transporting luxury cars worth Rs 3.6 crore caught fire near Poigai village in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district on Friday, causing a temporary disruption along the busy Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway, police said.

The lorry, carrying two high-end luxury cars valued at Rs 1.8 crore each, was en route from Chennai Port to Bengaluru when the incident occurred.

The driver, identified as a 20-year-old Akash from Uttar Pradesh, reportedly swerved the vehicle to avoid an oncoming two-wheeler, causing the lorry to veer off and come to rest in an empty roadside area.

The vehicle remained parked under overhead power lines for an extended period. According to preliminary investigations, strong winds may have caused the wires to scrape, triggering an electric surge. This surge is believed to have led to an explosion in the diesel tank, igniting a fire that engulfed the front section of the lorry.

Upon receiving the alert, officers from Virinjipuram Police Station quickly notified the Vellore District Fire and Rescue Services. Firefighters arrived promptly and battled the flames for over an hour before successfully bringing the blaze under control.

While the front of the lorry was completely destroyed in the fire, the container section housing the cars remained intact. No injuries were reported, and the luxury vehicles were not damaged. (ANI)