Brand new car set on fire while engine running

A BRAND new car worth €14,500 caught fire, with the engine running and the driver at the wheel, police said yesterday.

The car was parked on a pavement on a Limassol street, with the engine on and its 47-year-old owner at the wheel. The fire was noticed by passers-by in the early hours of yesterday.

Passers-by helped the driver come out of the car, while the fire brigade arrived to set out the fire. The car’s engine has been completely destroyed, and damage was also caused to the car’s interior.

The 47-year-old man had bought the car two months ago, but the vehicle had not yet been transferred to his name due to outstanding payments.

Although the causes of the fire have not been determined yet, police believe the driver was drunk and that the engine had overheated as it was on high intensity while the car was immobile.

Police continue to investigate.

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