India, March 19 -- A vehicle of a private firm caught fire near Pune on Wednesday, resulting in four of the company employees travelling in the vehicle being charred to death.

According to a police official quoted in a PTI report, the deaths happened due to the emergency exit at the rear side of the minibus failing to open and thus trapping some employees inside the vehicle.

The minibus caught fire at Hinjewadi in the Pimpri Chinchwad area around 7.30 am, the official said. The report identified the company as Vyoms Graphics whose vehicle was carrying 12 employees of the firm from Warje to work in Hinjewadi at the time of the incident.

The fire began near the seat of the driver, close to his feet, as the vehicle neared Dassault Systeme...