Two persons escaped unhurt after the car they were travelling caught fire at Thorapadi near fort complex in Vellore town on Sunday.

The police said that S. Jayaraj, a local businessman, was returning in the car to Vellore from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh after medical treatment, when the vehicle driver B. Vignesh, 28, noticed smoke in the bonnet.

Immediately, he stopped the vehicle away on Anna Salai near the fort complex. The duo got down as the fire spread to the entire vehicle. Based on an alert, firefighters and police from Vellore North rushed to the spot. The car got completely gutted before firefighters were able to douse the fire.

Police removed the charred vehicle from the carriageway to resume traffic movement on the stretch. Police said an electrical short circuit might be the reason for the accident. A case was registered by Vellore North police and further probe is under way.