Early reports claim the car was struck by lightning but the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
A Proton Iswara Aeroback exploded in Kota Bahru yesterday evening killing one man and causing damage to other cars and injuries to other road users. At least 4 others are undergoing treatment for their injuries at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II. One of the injured victims is apparently a police officer.
The victim’s body was blown up and flung some 20 metres from the wreckage of his car. Due to the nature of his injuries, the victim has yet to be identified. The Iswara was split in two and burnt to a crisp. Several other cars that were damaged in the explosion include a Proton Waja and a Honda CR-V. Kelantan police chief, Shafien Mamat, said that 6 other cars went up in flames as a result of the explosion.
Earlier reports claimed that the car was struck by lightning and this is what caused the explosion. However, this is unlikely, as cars are usually shielded by a Faraday Cage effect from direct lightning strikes. Electronics can get damaged by direct or indirect lightning strikes, but an all-out explosion is unlikely.
More recent reports are starting to discount the lightning theory and police are still investigating the true cause, and fireworks are looking like they’re more likely to be the cause. ‘Mercun Bola’, essentially a plastic ball filled with explosive material and lit with a fuse, is suspected to have caused the explosion. It seems like the victim was transporting a whole bunch of fireworks in his vehicle. Who knows what set them off, but they’re most likely the reason why the explosion was so violent and deadly.
The incident took place along Jalan Pintu Geng, Kampung Sireh, Kelantan between 5.30pm and 5.45pm. Witnesses nearby say that they heard the sound of an explosion, almost like a bomb going off. 15 members of the local Fire and Rescue Department were on the scene to extinguish the flaming vehicle. A restaurant owner operating some 40 metres from the incident says that his place of business was damaged due to the explosion. Even houses some 100 metres away from the scene had broken windows, according to some reports.
Freak accidents like these are impossible to predict and prepare for. However, if you’d like some general advice on preparing for a car fire, check out this article.
