Truck Carrying 8 EVs Engulfed in Flames in Telangana, Police Investigate If Cooking in Cabin Caused Fire

Fire and police officials in Sangareddy district, Telangana, are investigating whether cooking inside a container truck's cabin caused a fire that destroyed the truck, which was transporting eight electric cars from Gujarat to Hyderabad via Mumbai.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the truck driver stopped at a truckers' bay on the Zaheerabad bypass road. Authorities noted that many long-distance truck drivers frequently take breaks there to prepare food.

The driver, who suffered injuries while attempting to extinguish the fire, is being questioned by the police. He initially claimed to have noticed smoke at the rear of the truck before the blaze spread.

“There were eight electric cars—four on each of the upper and lower racks—inside the container. All of them were completely destroyed. While cooking with a stove inside the cabin remains a possibility, we are also investigating whether the long journey may have caused overheating or an electrical short circuit inside the cabin,” said B. Nareshwara Rao, fire officer for Sangareddy district.

Officials found a burnt kerosene stove and some rotis near the truck. Upon arrival, they observed the fire spreading from the cabin, which then ignited the front tyres and caused the large diesel tank to explode, fueling the flames. The fire was difficult to control due to the rapid combustion of the EV batteries. A report has been submitted to the police for further investigation.