On Friday, the death toll from a serious accident involving an LPG tanker on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway rose to 11. Many of the injured people are in critical condition. The crash caused a massive fire, destroying 37 vehicles and nearby buildings.
Dr. Deepak Maheshwari, the head of SMS Medical College, reported that 11 people lost their lives. Five were dead when they reached the hospital, five others died during treatment, and one person died at Jaipuria hospital.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph explained that the fire started when the LPG tanker’s nozzle was damaged during an accident, causing a dangerous gas leak. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. near a school, and flames quickly spread to vehicles behind the tanker and coming traffic.
In total, 43 people were taken to hospitals, with seven of them needing ventilators. Rajasthan’s health minister, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, said many of the injured were in “very critical” condition.
Eyewitnesses shared shocking stories. A passenger from a burning bus reported hearing a loud blast just before flames enveloped the bus. “We broke the window and jumped out as the fire raged around us,” they said.
The driver of a school van described seeing flames from a distance and the panic that followed as people ran for safety. “I saw a man on fire. It was terrifying,” he said.
Another eyewitness recalled how the fire spread quickly, engulfing a whole lane of 100-200 meters. Those who managed to escape survived while others suffered severe burns.
In response, the Rajasthan government has promised ₹5 lakh (about $6,000) to the families of those who died and ₹1 lakh ($1,200) for the injured.
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