'Bodies reduced to skeletons': Four charred to death as car goes up in flames after head-on collision on Rajkot-Bhavnagar highway

RAJKOT: Four people, including a mother-daughter duo, were charred to death when two cars collided head-on and one of them burst into flames on the Rajkot-Bhavnagar highway on Saturday.
Police said the accident was so horrific that the victims' bodies were reduced to skeletons, leaving the devastated relatives uncertain about how to carry out the last rites.
The accident occurred near Sardhar, some 20 km from the city, when a hatchback collided with a sedan coming from the opposite direction. The impact of the crash was such that the hatchback, fitted with a CNG kit, instantly ignited in flames.
Preliminary investigation suggested that there were eight people in the car, including the driver. The road where the crash happened is a single-lane stretch. Investigators said the most probable reason for the devastating fire was the CNG kit fitted in the car.
Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts have also been roped in to ascertain the exact reason and determine the speed at which the cars were travelling.
Those who died were Niru Makwana (35), her three-year-old daughter Hetvi, Hemanshi Sarvaiya (22), and Mitul Sakariya (12). All victims were natives of Gondal, according to family members.
Speaking to the reporters, assistant commissioner of police ACP (east) Radhika Bharai confirmed that police recovered charred remains of three victims from the wreckage of the Alto.
Investigations are underway to determine the number of people in the sedan at the time and whether its driver sustained any injuries.
Three injured survivors — Sahil Sarvaiya, Hiren Makwana, and Neeta Sakariya — are being treated at Rajkot Civil Hospital. One family member, Ekta Sakariya, miraculously escaped the blaze.
Officials said the severity of the accident could be gauged from the fact that more than 90% of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.
This is the latest in a series of accidents reported from different parts of Saurashtra, which have claimed at least 14 lives, including the Saturday crash.
Earlier, on April 16, four people were killed when a city bus operated by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) struck nine vehicles, including seven two-wheelers, as the driver failed to apply brakes at a traffic signal.