Auto goes up in flames on NH-8, driver dies

Gurgaon: A CNG auto-rickshaw driver succumbed to burn injuries at 11am on Tuesday, hours after his vehicle caught fire on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway (NH-8) around 2am near Hans Enclave.While a team from Naharpur Rupa police post and a fire tender from Sector 29 fire section rushed to the spot soon after the incident, by the time the fire was controlled, the driver sustained critical burn injuries.He was sent to a private hospital in Sector 5, where he died during treatment.Cops said the identity of the deceased is yet to be established, and his body has been kept in the mortuary as efforts continue to identify him.Preliminary investigation suggests that the auto caught fire suddenly, possibly due to a cylinder explosion, and the driver may not have been able to escape in time. Officials are also probing whether he was under the influence of intoxicants, which could have hindered his ability to react quickly as the fire spread.Investigators found that the auto was originally registered in 2018 at an address in Arjun Nagar. However, the registered owner left Gurgaon about five years ago after selling the vehicle, and the current owner remains untraceable.