Nanjangud: A family of five from the city had a miraculous escape when their car caught fire upon entering an asphalted road where farmers had laid horse gram produce for threshing yesterday. Thankfully, all passengers emerged unharmed, preventing a potential tragedy.

Despite warnings from the District Administration and the Police, rural roads in Mysuru frequently transform into makeshift threshing grounds, with farmers spreading their agricultural produce for processing. The intertwining of straw with vehicle wheels is a common occurrence, sometimes leading to friction-induced fires on the asphalted road.

Yesterday’s incident occurred near Hoskote village in Nanjangud taluk and a Police complaint has been registered in this regard. According to the complaint and the Police, Richard, a resident of Rajivnagar in the city, was travelling along with his mother and family members in a Nano car (KA-01-MJ-3416).

The family had visited Nanjangud and was on their way back to Mysuru via Suttur-Hoskote Road. As part of the threshing process, farmers had spread horse gram produce up to two feet on the road, which involves loosening the edible part of the grain from the attached husks and straw.

It is a common practice for many farmers to lay out their harvest on the roads during the day, allowing vehicles to pass over and facilitate the threshing process without the need for labour-intensive tasks.

Observing the road laden with crops, Richard cautiously manoeuvred his vehicle along the side, steering clear of driving over the harvest. Unfortunately, straws from the crop ignited beneath the vehicle’s engine due to friction. Unaware of the fire, Richard continued driving.

As smoke began billowing from the rear of the car, a few farmers in the field adjacent to the roadside attempted to alert the occupants. However, Richard misconstrued their gestures, thinking the farmers were communicating among themselves, and continued driving.

Some bikers overtook the car and urgently signalled the occupants about the fire. Panicked, the family members inside the car became aware of the situation. Richard promptly brought the car to a halt and swiftly led his family out of the vehicle. 

In a matter of moments after everyone exited, the car erupted into flames and was completely charred within minutes. Despite the villagers’ efforts to douse the flames by splashing water on the vehicle, it was reduced to ashes.

Richard informed Star of Mysore that his car, a 2012-make, was covered by third-party insurance, rendering him unable to claim insurance money for the extensively damaged vehicle. The horse gram produce belonged to farmer Ravindra, who was present in the field during the incident and also attempted to alert the driver about the emerging fire.

Biligere Police visited the site, assessing the situation. Subsequently, a conciliatory meeting was held between the car owner and the farmers. However, the meeting failed to yield any resolution, prompting Richard to file a formal Police complaint.