Man burnt alive after motorcycle catches fire on NH-9

Meerut: A 30-year-old man travelling towards Delhi on his motorcycle on NH-9 was burnt alive after his two-wheeler caught fire in Hapur area around 8:30 pm on Thursday. Police said the flames spread rapidly, leaving the victim, Ajit Singh, with little time to stop the bike or escape. Singh, who belonged to Amroha’s Bhogapura village, is survived by his wife and a six-year-old son.“Prima facie, the fire appears to have been caused by a short circuit in the bike followed by fuel leakage, though the exact cause is being investigated,” circle officer (CO) Varun Mishra said on Friday.“It is likely that the fuel got spilled all over his body which caused the fire to spread quickly,” the CO added.Passersby watched helplessly as the man screamed in pain before succumbing to severe burn injuries on the spot.“The flame started from the engine and spread rapidly. The rider fell on the road and his leg got stuck underneath the two-wheeler. Nobody had anything with them to immediately douse the flames. People were afraid of the bike exploding due to fire,” added a passerby.“It all happened within a few seconds. He didn’t even get time to remove his helmet,” another eyewitness said.According to police, the incident took place near Bachhlauta village under Babugarh limits. Singh was a daily wager and was going to meet his uncle for some work. His uncle lives in Delhi and runs a ‘bike taxi’.