Dhar Car Fire, Sadalpur: Four Friends Burnt to Death, One Critical, After Car Falls Off Culvert on Lebad-Nayagaon Four-Lane; Cause Under Investigation

What happened

At about 11.30 pm on Sunday, 25 October 2026, a car carrying five friends went off a culvert on the Lebad-Nayagaon four-lane road (also called the Mhow-Neemuch four-lane) in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh. The spot is near a roadside dhaba between Sadalpur and Kherod, in the Sadalpur police station area. The car fell into the ditch below the culvert and caught fire. Four young men, all about 19 to 20 years old and from the Sagaur area of Dhar, were trapped inside and burnt to death. The fifth was seriously burnt and was referred to Indore. They were returning from the Sanwariya Seth temple in Rajasthan, and one report says they had set out from Pithampur on 24 October. Updated 26 October 2026.

Amar Ujala and India TV report that the car, a Swift Dzire, hit the divider on the culvert, that the impact tore the engine out, and that one youth was thrown out of the car while four stayed trapped. NewsTak and Asianet say the survivor got out on his own. We cannot settle which is right; both agree he was alive and badly burnt. A Dial 112 team and local police reached the spot, and the fire brigade put out the fire, but the four had already died. The bodies were sent to Dhar district hospital for post-mortem.

What the police say about the cause

The cause is not established. Additional Superintendent of Police Parul Belapurkar told reporters that the driver-side tyre burst as the car crossed the culvert, after which the car lost balance, fell into the ditch and caught fire (Asianet Newsable). NewsTak reports a preliminary police finding that the fire started in the driver-side front wheel before the car went out of control, and adds that the car was speeding. Other outlets (Amar Ujala, India TV, Vistaar News) simply say it hit the divider and fell, and Pardaphash says it fell about 25 feet. So three explanations circulate: a burst tyre, a fire at the wheel, and a divider hit at speed. They are not the same thing, and we do not choose one for you.

One outlet, UITV Connect, says the car had a CNG kit fitted and quotes the civil surgeon, Dr Mukund Barman, saying CNG made the fire spread fast; a local news channel also calls it a CNG Swift in a video title. None of the other reports we opened mention CNG, so treat it as unconfirmed. Dr Barman also said the four bodies were completely burnt. Police have registered a marg (unnatural death) case, according to Amar Ujala, and are investigating; we found no FIR number, no sections and no statement on seat belts, speed or the car’s fitness.

Why this matters

A crash that ends in a fire is much harder to survive than a crash alone, because the people inside have only a minute or two. We covered the same pattern in the Vijayawada West Bypass EV car fire, where four people also died after a car hit a railing and burned, and in the Greater Noida sleeper-bus fire. Our guide to car fire safety in India explains how EV, CNG and petrol cars burn differently and what to do in the first 30 seconds. Night driving after a long temple trip is another factor: tired young drivers on a high-speed four-lane are a known risk, and our note on helmet and seat belt use shows what the data says about belts.

Lessons for readers

• Check tyres before a long drive, and again at the highway halt. Look at tread, sidewall cuts, bulges and pressure, including the spare. A burst at highway speed is the first cause the police gave here.
• Do not drive at night when tired. After a long pilgrimage drive, change drivers and rest at a dhaba. Do not push to reach home.
• CNG and LPG kits need an approved fitter and a regular check. Use only an authorised workshop, keep the cylinder test dates current, and get any smell of gas looked at the same day.
• Seat belts on every seat. They keep you inside the cabin during a roll, and you can unbuckle in seconds. Know where the belt release is.
• If the car catches fire: stop, switch off the engine, get everyone out and move at least 30 metres away and off the road. Do not go back for phones or bags. Details are in the car fire guide.
• Bystanders: call 112 first, give the road name and the nearest dhaba or kilometre stone, and keep traffic away. Our witness safe-help guide and Good Samaritan note explain what you can safely do and your legal protection. See also the emergency numbers guide.
• If someone is burnt, cool the burn under running water for 20 minutes, do not apply cream or toothpaste, and get them to a hospital. See our first aid guide.

What is still not known

We do not know whether the tyre burst, the wheel fire or the divider hit came first. The speed, the driver’s rest and the car’s condition have not been stated. The CNG kit is reported by one outlet only. The survivor’s condition is serious, with burns reported as 35 to 40 per cent; his account to police may clarify what happened. The reports differ on whether he was thrown out or climbed out. No FIR number or arrest has been reported, and no technical or forensic report has been announced. We will update this page when police give a finding. Last checked 26 October 2026, 4 pm IST. We do not name the young men; their families are grieving.