8 dead in fire after LPG tanker crash on Jaipur-Ajmer highway
Of the about 35 people injured, nearly half are "very critical", Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said
PTI
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Charred vehicles at the site of the accident on Jaipur-Ajmer Highway, in Jaipur on Friday. PHOTO: PTI
Jaipur, 20 Dec
An LPG tanker collided with a truck
on Friday, sparking a massive fireball that turned a stretch of the
Jaipur-Ajmer highway into an inferno in which at least eight people were killed
and nearly 40 vehicles engulfed in flames.
Of the about 35 people injured,
nearly half are "very critical", Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra
Singh Khimsar said.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju
George Joseph, who was at the crash site with several officers of his
department, said an outlet nozzle of the LPG tanker was damaged in the
collision, leading to a gas leak that caused the blaze.
The crash occurred around 5.45 am,
when it was still dark, in front of a school, according to officials. "Vehicles
behind the tanker were engulfed in flames. Other vehicles coming from the
opposite directions also caught fire and the vehicles collided," he said.
The gas leak also spread the fire
in a flash, leaving no scope for those in nearby vehicles to come out. People
were seen rushing and taking off clothes engulfed in flames.
The injured were rushed to the SMS
hospital in Jaipur in more than 25 ambulances. Dr Deepak Maheshwari, principal
of the SMS Medical College, said eight people have died.
He said 43 people were brought to
the hospital. Five of them were pronounced dead and three succumbed to injuries
during treatment, he said, adding that seven people are on ventilator support.
Officials at the spot indicated
that the casualty count may go up. Police suspect some people could not get out
of their vehicles in time and got burnt.
The Rajasthan government announced
financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1
lakh for the injured.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajasthan Governor
Haribhau Bagade, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and his predecessor Ashok
Gehlot expressed grief over the loss of lives in the crash.
In a post on X, Modi announced an
ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the
next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Earlier in the day, eyewitnesses
reported spotting flames from nearly a kilometre away as thick black smoke
filled the sky and ambulances and fire brigade vehicles rushed towards the
crash zone. A school van driver on his way to pick up students recounted with
horror the sight of a man engulfed in flames on the road.
The crash initially affected a
nearly 300-metre stretch of the highway, leading to a long queue of vehicles.
The traffic congestion grew rapidly with time and by the afternoon, choked the
arterial road and traffic had to be diverted to alternative routes.
Authorities were clearing the
highway of the burnt vehicles to resume vehicular movement.
After news of the accident spread,
Chief Minister Sharma and Khimsar rushed to the SMS hospital. Sharma spoke to
administration officials and doctors and issued directions to ensure proper
treatment was facilitated. He also visited the accident site and spoke to
police officials.
"I visited the hospital as
soon as I got the incident. This is a very unfortunate incident. Instructions
have been given to ensure proper treatment and other arrangements," he
told reporters at the crash site.
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