A deadly collision involving a CNG tanker and several vehicles turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan into an inferno on Friday morning, killing at least eight people. The incident took place around 5:30 am outside a petrol pump.
An eyewitness, a school van driver, recounted the horrific incident, calling it a “frightening scene”.
“There was panic and chaos on the highway…As I got closer to the spot, I saw people running in haste and shouting for help. I saw a man engulfed in flames. It was a frightening scene. Fire brigades and ambulances were there but it was difficult for them to reach the spot initially,” he told news agency PTI.
Locals reported spotting the flames from over a kilometer away.
The explosion was so intense that several vehicles within a 300-meter radius were engulfed and completely burned, reported news agency IANS. Several drivers were reportedly burned in the incident, with some in critical condition.
Officials said that a CNG tanker parked near the petrol pump caught fire after a truck collided with other vehicles. CCTV footage also shows the CNG tanker exploding and a massive black smoke rising in the sky.
Several more people are feared dead, while more than 40 people have been injured. At least 28 victims are in critical condition, officials said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the truck that hit the other vehicles was reportedly loaded with a chemical.
“The fire has engulfed several trucks. The number of trucks involved in the incident is not clear. Some people with burn injuries have been rushed to hospitals in ambulances,” Station House Officer (SHO), Bhankrota, Manish Gupta said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the incident and expressed condolences over the loss of lives.
“The road accident in Jaipur, Rajasthan is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. I spoke to the Chief Minister Mr Bhajanlal Sharma in this regard. The local administration is working to provide immediate treatment to the injured. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on X.
