Twenty people, including three children, died and 16 were critically injured when a bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire on Tuesday afternoon near Thaiyat village, 10 km from Jaisalmer city.
According to the officials, 19 charred bodies were recovered from inside the bus. One of them, 75-year-old Hussain Khan, died during treatment.
The injured passengers were first taken to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer for first aid and later shifted to Jodhpur for better treatment. Six of the deceased were residents of Jodhpur, while the remaining victims were from Jaisalmer.
Rajasthan bus accident: What led to the fire?
Initial investigations suggest that a short circuit in the bus’s air-conditioning system triggered a gas leak, causing the fire. The private bus was recently modified from non-AC to AC just a week ago, before turning into a deadly inferno. The fire broke out, trapping passengers inside as flames engulfed the front of the bus, blocking all exits.
The first to respond were personnel from the Army’s Battle Axe Division, who reached the site soon after the fire broke out. Major General Ashish Khurana, General Officer Commanding of the division, led the rescue efforts along with local police and villagers.
Although the flames were eventually brought under control, Jaisalmer collector Pratap Singh said the rescue operations could not start immediately because the vehicle’s metal frame remained extremely hot for nearly four hours. The remains of the burnt bus were later moved to the nearby Army station.
Bodies sent for DNA identification
As a major military exercise was ongoing in Jaisalmer, Army vehicles were unavailable to carry the bodies. A Border Security Force (BSF) vehicle was later used to transport the remains, many of which were burnt beyond recognition, to Jodhpur for forensic analysis and DNA testing to confirm identities.
Officials managed to identify only a few victims by Tuesday night, Rajendra Singh Chauhan, Hasina, Irfan, Barkat Khan, Gopilal, Ayub Khan, and Nasira, were among them.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. “The deaths in the Jaisalmer bus fire are extremely heartbreaking. My condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” President Murmu said on X.
Prime Minister Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who died and expressed solidarity with the affected families. "Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma reached Jaisalmer soon after the incident and was briefed by officials on the rescue and relief measures. The CM also met the injured receiving treatment in the hospital.
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