Kolkata: Delivery boy charred to death after car hits bike, leads to explosion

The accident took place when a four-wheeler lost control and rammed into a bike. (Screengrab/X)

A 22-year-old delivery agent was charred to death after a car hit his bike, dragged him to a roadside railing and caught fire in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata, West Bengal, on Wednesday evening.

The accident took place when a four-wheeler lost control and rammed into his bike while he waited at the traffic signal near the bridge connecting Salt Lake's AK Block with the Kestopur canal road at around 4.30 pm.

Police said the impact of the collision was such that the car dragged the bike along with it to the roadside railing before the vehicle burst into flames. The biker could not escape as his legs got caught in the railings, according to a report by The Times of India.

Locals reportedly tried to rescue him but failed to pull him away. Meanwhile, two persons in the car escaped with injuries. A pedestrian and another biker were also injured.

The biker, Soumen Mandal's family slammed the police for their failure to make an arrest even 12 hours after the crash, and also alleged that the cops did not try enough to save him, according to a report by NDTV.

Soumen worked simultaneously as a delivery executive and a bike cab rider. He was on his two-wheeler.

A CCTV footage of the crash shows Soumen's two-wheeler, another bike and a car waiting at the signal. A speeding car then enters the frame from the right and rams Soumen's two-wheeler. The video shows the 22-year-old hitting the railing. The car's bonnet trapped him there and he was burned alive, NDTV reported.

The young man's death sparked massive protests in the area as local residents alleged that cops did not try enough to rescue him. Some also claimed that police personnel at the spot were busy shooting videos instead of making attempts to rescue Soumen. They also alleged that fire engines came very late.

VIDEO | Kolkata: Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd protesting over the death of a food delivery boy in Salt Lake. DCP Bidhannagar Aneesh Sarkar said, "Today, a speeding car crashed into other vehicles, claiming the life of one person. The impact caused the car to catch… pic.twitter.com/Am0dUPHsgz— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 13, 2025

Police have said a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered and a probe is on.