According to sources, a speeding trailer truck on the Raipur road rammed into a van, sending the latter crashing into a nearby electric pole.
This impact had further triggered a short circuit and led to a spontaneous fire, which not only gutted the vehicle but also a nearby stationery outlet.
The van driver, who was stuck in the vehicle, was charred to death and the remaining four persons, as per the eyewitness records, managed to escape with minor injuries.