Malda, July 2: A 26-year-old e-rickshaw driver was killed after his moving vehicle exploded in West Bengal's Malda district, prompting the NIA and the CID to enquire about the incident, police said on Thursday. The explosion took place in English Bazar area on Wednesday evening when the battery-operated rickshaw was plying on the Ghorapir-Krishnapally road, they said.

The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Illius, the driver of the vehicle. His body was ripped into pieces and the vehicle was severely damaged, police said. Odisha: 7 Workers Receive Burn Injuries Due to Leakage From Blast Furnace at TPSL Factory.

A forensic team of the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is expected to visit here on Thursday to investigate the incident, while officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) talked to Malda Superintendent of Police and enquired about it, a senior officer said.

A preliminary investigation suggested that two of the four batteries that power the e-vehicle exploded, the officer said. Meanwhile, Malda (North) BJP MP Khagen Murmu demanded an NIA probe into the incident.