A devastating fire erupted on a moving AC sleeper bus on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway Tuesday, trapping passengers when the automatic door locked. The inferno quickly consumed the vehicle, forcing many to desperately break windows for escape. Efforts to reach those inside were severely hampered, with nearly 50 minutes passing before the Army arrived with heavy machinery to breach the doors and aid survivors.
Witnesses at the scene described scenes of unimaginable horror. One local man recounted pulling 16 individuals from the burning wreckage, noting that victims ranged from a child as young as eight to a 79-year-old elder. Tragically, the blaze claimed the lives of 20 out of the 57 passengers on board.
The incident, which began around 3:30 pm, saw flames spread with alarming speed, prompting some passengers to leap from the moving vehicle. The injured were initially transported to Jaisalmer’s Jawahar Hospital before being transferred to Jodhpur for more advanced care.
Rescue attempts were fraught with difficulty due to the intensity of the fire. A water tanker that arrived on the scene could not sufficiently combat the flames to save everyone trapped inside. Despite repeated calls, fire brigade services were reportedly delayed for approximately 45 minutes.
Locals reported that only about 16 people were successfully extracted, with roughly 40 others believed to have perished within the bus. Families of the victims are grappling with shock and uncertainty, struggling to obtain information about their loved ones.
The bus, operated by KK Travels, had recently been converted into an AC sleeper and had only been in service for five days. Preliminary reports suggest a short circuit in the AC unit may have ignited the fire. The rapid spread was exacerbated by the bus’s fiber body and curtains, alongside fully glass windows and a single exit point. The driver and conductor reportedly escaped early, while the absence of essential fire safety equipment was noted.
A 275-kilometer green corridor was established to transport 16 critically injured passengers to Jodhpur. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences, including the driver continuing to operate the burning bus for a significant distance.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited affected patients in Jodhpur, overseeing coordinated medical responses. Authorities are working to identify the charred remains through forensic analysis and are providing support to the grieving families.
