Palakkad (Kerala) | A man was charred to death after a parked car caught fire here on Thursday, police said.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 4 pm when locals noticed a car engulfed in flames on the roadside along the Dhoni-Mundur stretch near the Arimani estate.

When people rushed to the spot, they noticed a man seated in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, police said, adding that the fire was so intense that attempts to douse it failed.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel later reached the spot and extinguished the blaze, police said.

Police said a preliminary investigation based on the vehicle registration number revealed that the car belonged to a person from Velikkad near Mundur.

They said they were unable to contact the owner immediately, but were in touch with his relatives.

Police said the vehicle had filled with petrol from a nearby fuel station at around 3 pm.

A detailed probe has been launched to ascertain the identity of the deceased and the cause of the fire, police said.

Hemambika Nagar police will register a case after completing the preliminary inquiry, they added.