A four-year-old succumbed to burns in Cherlapalli after battling her injuries for four weeks at a hospital. She is the second victim of an incident that occurred on November 1, when a car caught fire.
The victim was identified as Jashmitha of Srikakulam. Another girl, Maheshwari, aged seven, a native of Choppadandi, Karimanagar, had succumbed to burns earlier.
It was initially assumed that the fire was a result of a cracker explosion trigger a fire in the car. It later turned out to be a case of negligence.
Following investigations, it was established one Sai Kumar had refilled his car with petrol from a can, but failed to shut the container. The car was parked in front of the temple where lamps were lit for Karthika Masam. The petrol fumes caught fire, leading to the accident.
Two girls who were playing alongside sustained grievous burns and were hospitalised. The car owner has been booked for negligence, said Cherlapalli sub-inspector Ch Shekar.
