# Moving Taxi Engulfed in Flames on Kamand Road in Mandi, IIT Trainees and Driver Leap to Safety

> A hired taxi carrying six IIT Mandi trainees and a driver was completely gutted by fire near Katindi, with all seven occupants escaping unharmed.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Himachal Pradesh · **Published:** 2026-10-15 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/himachal-pradesh/mandi-men-kamand-marga-para-chalati-taiksi-bani-aga-ka-gola-iit-prashikshuon-aura-chalaka-ne-kudakara-bachai-jana-47693 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** IIT Mandi, Mandi News, Car Fire, Himachal News, Kamand Road, Padhar Police

A severe vehicle fire broke out on a mountain route in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, completely destroying a taxi travelling from Kamand towards Mandi town. The car was carrying six trainees from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi along with the driver when the flames erupted unexpectedly. Realising the imminent danger, all occupants acted swiftly to evacuate the vehicle, successfully avoiding injuries before the automobile was reduced entirely to ashes.

## Flames Erupt Near Katindi on Route from Campus
The incident took place on 14 October as the vehicle was descending from the Kamand campus toward Mandi town. At approximately 4:15 pm, when the car was roughly one kilometre away from Katindi, fire suddenly broke out from the engine compartment. The driver noticed the sudden blaze and brought the automobile to a stop, directing all six trainees to clear the vehicle immediately. Their rapid reaction ensured that all seven individuals escaped without harm.

## Vehicle Hired by Institutional Administration
The taxi belongs to Ankit, a resident of Palace Colony in Mandi town, and was being driven on that trip by his brother, Rahul. Records indicate that the commercial vehicle had been hired by the IIT Mandi administration to facilitate transportation for its trainees, who were commuting towards town after finishing their activities at the campus.

## Firefighters Extinguish Blaze as Police Initiate Inquiry
Emergency responders were alerted shortly after the fire took hold, prompting a firefighting unit from Mandi to arrive at the spot with a water tender. Although firefighters deployed water jets and brought the inferno under control, the intense heat had already burned the vehicle down to its metal frame. Pradeep Kumar, a fireman stationed at the Mandi fire station, noted that the taxi was entirely incinerated during the blaze. Meanwhile, officers from Padhar police station arrived at the location to inspect the vehicle and carry out initial documentation. Preliminary police findings point towards an electrical short circuit inside the engine bay as the primary cause behind the fire. Several visuals from the Mandi-Katola-Kullu road showing the car engulfed in thick smoke and flames were also captured by onlookers at the scene.

## What this means for you
Sudden vehicular fires along mountain highways highlight critical safety concerns for everyday commuters and commercial fleet operators.

- **Across India:** Poor electrical upkeep and overlooked servicing in commercial cabs present genuine hazards to passengers travelling long or short distances. Commuters should remain vigilant and immediately demand a stop if they detect burning smells or flickering dash panels.
- **In Mandi and Himachal Pradesh:** Winding mountain roads like the Mandi-Katola-Kullu corridor offer very narrow margins for evacuation during emergencies. Educational institutions hiring private transport must enforce rigorous technical inspections and valid fitness checks on all fleet contracts.
- **For Passengers:** Occupants should always be conscious of exit mechanisms and door latches when boarding commercial transport. In case of sudden smoke or fire, leaving personal belongings behind and stepping out quickly remains the safest course of action.
- **For Cab Operators:** Uncertified wiring modifications and faulty battery terminals are regular triggers for under-hood short circuits. Commercial operators must install functional in-cabin fire extinguishers and conduct timely electrical audits to avoid catastrophic vehicle losses.

## Why this happened
The vehicle was engulfed due to an abrupt electrical failure originating directly beneath the engine hood while in transit.

- **Direct Trigger:** According to the primary assessment by the police, a short circuit inside the engine compartment ignited the fire. Sparks likely caught flammable fluids or insulation, rapidly expanding through the engine bay.
- **Aggravating Circumstances:** The incident happened on an isolated stretch of the hilly corridor roughly a kilometre outside Katindi, where the fire spread before municipal fire engines could arrive.
- **Next Steps:** Personnel from the Padhar police station have documented the scene and commenced statutory inquiries into the contracted taxi's mechanical history to confirm the precise failure point.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Where and when did the vehicle catch fire?
The incident occurred on 14 October at around 4:15 pm, approximately one kilometre from Katindi on the Kamand to Mandi route in Himachal Pradesh.

### 2. How many passengers were inside the taxi during the incident?
There were seven people inside the car, comprising six IIT Mandi trainees and the driver, Rahul.

### 3. Were there any injuries or casualties reported?
No injuries were reported, as all occupants evacuated the car immediately before the fire consumed the vehicle.

### 4. What caused the fire according to authorities?
Preliminary investigations by the local police indicate an electrical short circuit inside the engine compartment as the main trigger.

### 5. Who owned and hired the car involved in the blaze?
The taxi was owned by Ankit from Palace Colony, Mandi, and had been officially hired by the IIT Mandi management.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._