Drunken man sets fire at petrol station in Hyderabad on ‘Dare’, arrested

Both the accused, who hail from Bihar, will appear before the court, police said.

Hyderabad:

An intoxicated man was arrested after he lit a lighter and started a fire at a petrol station in Hyderabad on Saturday night, officials said.

The incident took place at around 7 pm when the accused, identified as Chiran, arrived at a gas station in Nacharam area clearly intoxicated with a lighter in his hand. One of the petrol station attendants, Arun, asked the accused if he was planning to light the device. He then challenged and provoked Chiran to light it if “he had the guts” to do so.

Reacting to this, the accused lit a lighter while the worker was pouring fuel in the scooter, which suddenly burst into flames.

At the time of the fire, there were about 10-11 people at the gas station, including two employees.

The recording from the video surveillance cameras of the incident shows a terrible moment when a woman and a child standing near the fire barely escaped. You can see how all the other people standing at the gas station are running away.

Police also arrested Arun and charged the duo with hooliganism and explosives.

Both the accused, who hail from Bihar, will appear before the court, police said.

“This dangerous act not only endangered lives but could have caused a catastrophic explosion, especially in this crowded area with heavy traffic,” said Inspector G Rudveer Kumar of the Nacharam police.