Woman’s hair catches fire during ‘Well Of Death’ bike stunt; video emerges

JAMSHEDPUR: A woman stunt performer sustained burn injuries after her motorcycle caught fire while she was performing inside the ‘Well of Death’ at a fair held at the Durga Puja ground under Burmamines police station limits late evening on Sunday.According to police, the incident occurred when the 28-year-old woman was riding her motorcycle at high speed along the wooden walls of a cylindrical structure.A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.The video shows smoke and sparks suddenly emerging from near the motorcycle’s engine as the woman rides along the structure.Within moments, the motorcycle catches fire, with flames rapidly engulfing the vehicle. The video also shows the woman’s hair catching fire.She subsequently loses her balance and falls to the lower section of the 20-foot-high structure.At the time, three Maruti 800 cars were also performing stunts alongside the motorcycle, speeding along the wooden walls.The sudden blaze triggered panic among hundreds of spectators standing on the elevated platform, many of whom screamed and rushed to escape.Staff members of the Well of Death immediately rushed to douse the flames by pouring water and throwing soil on the burning motorcycle.Their prompt response helped prevent the fire from spreading to the dry wooden structure, averting a potentially major mishap. However, the motorcycle was completely gutted by the time the flames were brought under control.A fuel leak or technical malfunction is suspected to have triggered the fire, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.Burmamines police station officer-in-charge Kumar Sarayu Anand said the woman was safe and no casualties had been reported. He added that the permission granted for the fair at the Puja ground was valid until Sunday.Police are investigating the circumstances leading to the incident and whether the organisers had obtained the requisite fire department clearance to conduct the event.Stay updated with the latest Jamshedpur news. Download the TOI App.