Jaipur Highway Fire: A deadly collision between an LPG tanker and a truck on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway in the early hours of Friday unleashed a massive fire, leaving 11 people dead and over 35 injured. The blaze engulfed 37 vehicles, including private buses, trucks, and cars, turning a 300-metre stretch of the arterial highway into a scene of devastation.
The crash occurred around 5:30 am, near a school, when the LPG tanker’s outlet nozzle was damaged in the collision, causing a gas leak that rapidly spread the fire. Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph explained that vehicles behind the tanker were immediately engulfed, with the blaze spreading to oncoming traffic, news agency PTI reported.
“Vehicles behind the tanker were engulfed in flames. Other vehicles coming from the opposite directions also caught fire and the vehicles collided,” Joseph said.
Dr Deepak Maheshwari, Principal of SMS Medical College, confirmed that 43 injured individuals were rushed to SMS Hospital in Jaipur, with seven critically injured patients on ventilator support. “Eleven people have died. Five were brought dead, five succumbed during treatment, and one death was reported from Jaipuria Hospital,” he said, as per PTI.
Witnesses described harrowing scenes of individuals trying to escape the flames, some engulfed and rushing to safety while removing burning clothing.
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and declared financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Modi also assured all possible support during a conversation with Chief Minister Sharma.
State Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said, “Nearly half of the injured are very critical.” A ‘green corridor’ was established to facilitate the swift transfer of patients to the hospital, and additional medical staff were deployed to manage the influx of victims.
Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa and Minister of State for Home Jawahwar Singh Bedham visited the accident site, while Congress state chief Govind Singh Dotasra and other leaders visited the hospital to assess the situation.
The blaze damaged 37 vehicles, including sleeper buses, trucks, and cars. According to Regional Transport Office (RTO) official Nemichand Pareek, one private sleeper bus, which was gutted in the fire, lacked a valid permit. The bus driver, Shahid from Udaipur, sustained injuries, while efforts are ongoing to contact missing passengers.
Locals reported thick black smoke and flames visible from a kilometre away. A school van driver recounted the chaos: “As I got closer to the spot, I saw people running and shouting for help. I saw a man engulfed in flames. It was a frightening scene.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision. Forensic teams collected evidence at the site, while the Regional Transport Office is probing irregularities, including the absence of permits for some vehicles.
Rajasthan Police issued helpline numbers (91-66-347-551, 87-64-688-431, and 73-00-363-636) for information and inquiries. Meanwhile, the highway remains partially closed as burnt vehicles are being cleared to resume traffic.
Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra called for the formation of a high-level committee to prevent such incidents, emphasising, “Governments should make concrete arrangements to ensure safety and prevent such tragedies.”
This tragic accident highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations on highways to avert such devastating incidents in the future.
*(Inputs from PTI and other sources)*
