Three charred bodies found inside burned SUV in Armenia's Ararat

Three partially charred bodies were found inside a burned sport utility vehicle in Armenia's Ararat Province early on Monday, authorities said, as investigators launched a criminal probe into the incident.

Emergency services were dispatched at about 4:50 a.m. local time after receiving reports that a vehicle was on fire along the Yerevan-Yerask highway near the village of Surenavan, Shamshyan.com reported.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in a Nissan Rogue and discovered the bodies inside the vehicle.

A criminal investigation has been opened by the Investigative Committee's Vedi division to establish the identities of the victims, as well as the owner and driver of the vehicle. The SUV has been impounded for forensic examination.