Woman charred to death in auto mishap in Thane

THANE: An unidentified woman passenger travelling in an auto was charred to death while the driver of the vehicle escaped with injuries after it met with a mishap at Gaimukh on the Ghodbunder road in the wee hours of Wednesday, civic officials informed.
The incident occurred when the auto was moving towards Thane around 5.15am. The driver probably lost control of the vehicle after which it crashed into the road divider and went up in flames. Rescue officials said a few passersby managed to pull out the driver from the burning vehicle but were unable to rescue the woman who was seated at the rear and got trapped inside.
“The woman could be pulled out only after the blaze was controlled. She had suffered severe burn injuries and was rushed to the government hospital where doctors declared her dead,” informed Avinash Sawant, chief at the regional disaster management cell, Thane.
The cause of the mishap and the identity of the victim will be confirmed after taking statements of the injured driver who is recuperating, said the police.