Watch video: Moving car catches fire on Mumbai-Pune expressway

The car belonged to a Mumbai-based businessman, both of whom escaped unhurt

A moving car caught fire on Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Sunday morning, triggering panic among passers-by, the police said. However, the occupants -- two Mumbai-based businessmen -- managed to escape unhurt.

The incident took place around 8 am in Rasayani, about 50km from Mumbai, when Bipin Premji Vora, a resident of Virar and the owner of the SUV that caught fire, was heading to Pune with Kishor Sarnath Mishra.

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They were inside the Bhatan tunnel when fellow motorists alerted them to a fire on the rear side of their SUV, an officer at the Rasayani police station said. They quickly stopped the car on the side of the expressway after exiting the tunnel and got out of the vehicle, he added.

The expressway fire brigade team rushed to the spot and doused the fire. "There was panic on the expressway for a few minutes, but traffic was not affected," the officer said. Prima facie it appears that a short circuit in the car caused the fire, the police said.

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