At least 20 people were killed when an AC sleeper bus caught fire on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur Highway in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district on Tuesday, according to officials. Several others were injured and transported to hospitals in Jodhpur.
The bus, which had left Jaisalmer for Jodhpur around 3 PM, was situated about 20 kilometers from Jaisalmer, near Thaiyat village, when smoke began rising from its rear, quickly escalating into flames that engulfed the vehicle.
Residents from nearby villages and passersby rushed to the scene to offer assistance, while three ambulances transported the injured to Jawahar Hospital. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire spread rapidly, compelling passengers to leap from the moving bus in a frantic attempt to escape.
Jodhpur District Collector Gaurav Agrawal confirmed that “19 bodies and 16 injured were brought here. Samples from two family members of each deceased are being taken for DNA identification. So far, nine people have given samples. The treatment of the injured is ongoing.”
Jaisalmer District Collector Pratap Singh requested families of the passengers to come forward to help identify the deceased. “An air-conditioned sleeper bus from a private company was traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur when the incident occurred. The district administration has opened a helpline, and I request family members of the passengers to assist in identifying the victims,” he stated.
Sources indicated that many passengers suffered burns covering up to 70% of their bodies. The bus, which was carrying 57 individuals, is believed to have caught fire due to a short circuit.
The injured were initially taken to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer via three ambulances before being referred to hospitals in Jodhpur for further treatment.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited Jaisalmer to assess the situation and later went to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur, where he met with the injured passengers and their families.
In a statement on social media, he expressed, “The incident of a bus catching fire in Jaisalmer is extremely heart-wrenching. I express my deep condolences to the people affected by this tragic accident. Instructions have been given to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to provide all possible assistance to those affected.”
The incident remains under investigation as officials work to confirm the exact cause of the fire.
Tags: bus fire, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur highway, casualties, accident news
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