A Marurti Suzuki XL6 Hybrid spontaneously burst into flames near Jindal in Anchepalya on Bengaluru-Tumkur road. The driver was trapped inside and hence was immolated. The driver, identified as T. Anil Kumar of Shettyhalli, Jalhalli West in Bengaluru, was trapped in the vehicle due the central locking system malfunctioning. The employees from a nearby petrol station tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers but were unsuccessful in their attempts. The driver died stuck inside the burning ball of fire.
According to reports, the vehicle was checked based on its registration number wherein it was revealed to be a Maruti Suzuki Hybrid XL6 Zeta Variant. The reason for the fire has not been revealed yet and Marati Suzuki has issued no statement.
According to a study by American organization AutoInsuranceEZ, the risk of fire in hybrid cars is much higher than petrol-diesel and electric cars. The same study analyzed data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on recalled vehicles from 2020. According to which, out of every one lakh units of vehicles sold, maximum number of incidents of fire have been reported in hybrid cars. At the second place was gasoline or petrol and at the third place were electric vehicles.
The fire raged to such an extent that driver could not exit the car to save his life. The car burst into a huge ball of flames and he was trapped inside as the central locking system jammed. The nearby petrol pump personnel tried to extinguish the blaze with fire extinguishers but were unsuccessful in their attempts. MN Halli police identified the victim as T. Anil Kumar, a resident of Shettyhalli, Jalahalli West, based on the registration number of the vehicle. The man died inside the car.