Elderly auto driver killed after e-scooter explosion sparks fire in house

A 65-year-old auto driver died after an electric two-wheeler allegedly exploded while charging inside his residence at Murphy Town under Halasuru Police Station limits during the early hours of Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Lourdes Nadan alias Luthnathan.

According to the complaint filed by his son, Frank Anthony L., 36, the family had plugged in their electric two-wheeler for charging around 11 p.m. on Monday before going to sleep. At around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the vehicle allegedly exploded, triggering a fire inside the compact two-storeyed rented house.

The police said Lourdes Nadan was sleeping alone in the hall on the ground floor at the time of the incident, while his son, an app-based cab driver, and daughter-in-law were asleep in a terrace-attached room on the upper floor. The electric vehicle had reportedly been parked barely two to three feet away from the hall where the victim was sleeping.

Hearing a loud explosion, Frank Anthony rushed downstairs and found his father engulfed in flames. With the help of their neighbours, the victim was rescued and rushed to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Based on the complaint, the Halasuru police have registered an Unnatural Death Report under Section 194 of the BNSS, 2023. Further investigation is under way to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion and the subsequent fire.

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