A man has died after his car caught fire on a filling station forecourt. Security guard Mohan Rooprai had filled up his

silver Ford Mondeo at Shell’s Auto Pitstop on the A47 at Guyhirn, near Wisbech, before the mystery ’flash fire’ broke out inside his car.

 

Witnesses to the 8.30am tragedy said they saw 57-year-old Mr Rooprai walk to the desk to pay for his fuel. He returned to his vehicle, but when his car still hadn’t moved some 15 minutes later two motorists went to investigate.

 

They found the Mondeo full of smoke, with Mr Rooprai still inside, unconscious. They pulled him from the car, called the emergency services and immediately began CPR. But Mr. Rooprai who lived in nearby Wisbech died on the forecourt.

 

Details of how the fire may have started have not been released, but it is believed to have been a ’flash fire’ as there was very little damage to Mr Rooprai’s vehicle.

 

A fire service spokesman said that the closed doors and windows of the Mondeo would have meant that that there was little oxygen inside for the blaze to sustain itself.

 

"The cause of the fire is under investigation," he said "but it is not being treated as suspicious."

 

Police closed the A47 in both directions for over an hour and cordoned off the forecourt following the incident, but the garage was eventually allowed to reopen. They also said the death was not being treated as suspicious

 

The case has now been handed to the North and East Cambridgeshire Coroner.