The death toll in the tragic truck collision and massive fire on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway has increased to 14 and 26 patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Jaipur. Police restored traffic movement on the major highway on Friday night, after they removed all vehicles which were engulfed in the fire.
Sushil Kumar Bhati, Superintendent of SMS Hospital confirmed the death toll and said 26 patients are still under treatment and some of them are under critical care. Bhati said majority of the patients have suffered burn injuries.
A major fire broke out on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway after a truck loaded with chemicals collided with an LPG tanker and a few other vehicles during the early hours of Friday. Five persons succumbed to burn injuries at the accident site itself.
According to Jaipur police, as many as 37 vehicles including several trailers, trucks and containers, two buses, pickup vans, one auto rickshaw, seven cars and two-wheelers were damaged in the fire.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph on Friday said a gas leak from the LPG cylinder that was hit in the accident led to the massive blaze. Joseph said an outlet nozzle of the LPG tanker was damaged in the collision. “Vehicles behind the tanker were engulfed in flames. Other vehicles coming from the opposite directions also caught fire and the vehicles collided," the police commissioner said.
#WATCH | Bhankrota fire accident | Jaipur | Congress leader Sachin Pilot says, "The injured people are being provided with the best available facilities. It is a tragic incident. This incident must be investigated to know the reasons behind it...As the population and means of… https://t.co/39QzM9DkgB pic.twitter.com/AQCAwtzVDY
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sachin Pilot visited those undergoing treatment at SMS Hospital on Saturday and inquired about their treatment. Talking to presspersons, Pilot said it was a tragic incident and a thorough probe must be conducted to ascertain its cause.
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The Rajasthan government has announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday directed officials to conduct a special drive to identify black spots in the state and fix them to reduce road accidents. He also ordered authorities to take stern action against those who do not adhere to prescribed standards in road construction works.
