The death toll from the explosion on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway rose to 14 on Saturday morning, as two more injured victims succumbed overnight. The explosion took place after a truck collided with an LPG tanker late Friday.
According to officials, 30 people were injured in the incident, including 20 passengers of a sleeper bus that was caught in the fiery explosion. The fire, which engulfed several vehicles, took over seven hours for firefighters to completely control.
Station House Officer Manish Gupta of Bhankrota Police Station described the chaos, saying, “It was dark when it happened and it was difficult to see what was happening. But later we came to know an LPG tanker had collided with a truck, there were so many vehicles that by the time we brought one under control, the others had already caught on fire. All damaged vehicles have been cleared from the road but it hasn’t been opened to traffic. The route will be opened late night,” as The Indian Express reported.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing the explosion from miles away, as the fire engulfed nearly two dozen vehicles. Among the deceased, four bodies were so severely burned that they remain unidentified. Most vehicles involved in the accident were registered in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families, posting on X, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident on Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.”
The PM also announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.