A man is fighting for life after a car fire in Melbourne's south-east, with police investigating whether it was deliberately lit. Emergency services were called to the scene just after 1am on Sunday, where they found a Toyota Corolla engulfed in flames and a man suffering critical injuries.
Victim in Critical Condition
The man was taken to The Alfred hospital, where he remains in a critical condition. Forensic investigators have established a crime scene, with the SES erecting a tent over the burnt-out vehicle.
Jerry Can Found at Scene
A jerry can is understood to have been involved in the incident, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation. Terrified neighbours were woken by a loud bang in the early hours of the morning.
“We heard a loud noise, so we were scared,” Akshay Korad said. “We just rushed into the home, so we couldn’t understand if it was a gunshot or it was some fire or something, but kids were scared, so we just went inside.”
“We just saw from the window the car was on fire, and then one person came out shouting something.”
Police Pursuing Multiple Lines of Inquiry
Police are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including whether the fire was deliberately lit, whether it was a targeted attack with possible gangland links, or whether it was an accident. Investigators are not ruling out any possibilities as they work to determine how and why the fire started.
