Jaipur, Dec 26: One more person who suffered critical burn injuries in the December 20 tanker fire incident in Jaipur succumbed during treatment at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, taking the death toll to 19.

Dr Rakesh Jain, a doctor at SMS Hospital, reported that 28-year-old Lalaram, who had sustained 60 per cent burns, was on a ventilator after sustaining injuries in the accident; however, he passed away at around 9.20 a.m.

“Currently, 20 severely injured patients are being treated in the hospital’s burn ward, with three of them on ventilators. Lalaram’s body has been placed in the hospital mortuary and will be handed over to his family following a post-mortem examination by a medical board,” said Dr Jain.

The fatalities from the Jaipur-Ajmer highway accident have been rising. On Wednesday, three patients succumbed to their injuries, following two deaths on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, five patients were discharged — three on December 23 and two on December 24.

On December 25, 22-year-old Vijeta, a resident of Pratapgarh, passed away at 4 a.m., followed by 36-year-old Vijendra from Bhuribaraj, Jaipur, who died at 9.30 a.m. Later, at around 1 p.m., 35-year-old Banshilal succumbed to his injuries. Vijeta and Vijendra had each suffered 70 per cent burns.

On December 24, two other victims lost their lives. They were identified as Naresh Babu from Etah, Uttar Pradesh, and Yusuf from Nuh, Haryana.

The tragic accident occurred near DPS Bhankrota on Ajmer Road in Jaipur on December 20 resulting in devastating loss of life. Four people were burned alive at the scene, while eight others succumbed to their injuries the same day during treatment at Sawai Man Singh Hospital.

Another person passed away later at Jaipuria Hospital. The accident happened when a truck collided with an LPG tanker, and the leaking gas caught fire which spread across the highway.

Jaiveer Singh, the tanker driver, informed the police that he was alone in the vehicle at the time of the incident. “Without wasting time, I started running,” he said. “The gas from the tanker spread on the road like a ball of fire. By the time I reached the ring road, I called the truck owner, Anil Kumar, and informed him about the incident. After that, I switched off my mobile.”

Further investigations are under progress in the incident.

Nainital, Dec 25: In a tragic accident, three people were killed and several others injured as a bus carrying 27 people plunged into a 1,500-feet-deep gorge on the Bhimtal-Ranibagh road in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district on Wednesday.

The bus was en route from Almora to Haldwani when the incident occurred on the Ranibagh road.

Rescue operations were initiated immediately by the police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the fire department, with significant assistance from locals. However, the steep terrain has made the efforts challenging.

Using ropes, the rescuers and locals carefully aided the injured, carrying them on their shoulders to safety.

The injured were provided first aid before being rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Bhimtal. Fifteen ambulances have been dispatched to Haldwani for further medical assistance.

As of now, 24 passengers have been rescued, and operations are still underway to ensure no one is left behind.

Videos of the incident show the bus was shattered on impact.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the accident and directed the local administration to ensure immediate relief and rescue operations.

Taking to social media platform X, Chief Minister Dhami stated, “The news of the bus accident near Bhimtal is very saddening. The local administration has been directed to carry out immediate relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers.”

Further updates on the incident and the condition of the injured are awaited as rescue efforts continue.

Last month, in a similar incident, at least 20 passengers lost their lives when the bus they were travelling in, was careened off the road and fell into a 200-metre-deep gorge in Almora district.

Among the victims were several children, heightening the tragedy of the incident.

The bus, transporting passengers from Garhwal to Kumaon, was reportedly overloaded at the time of the accident.

Jaipur, Dec 25: Three more individuals, including a severely burnt woman, succumbed to their injuries on Wednesday at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, taking the death in the Jaipur LPG tanker blast to 18.

Vijayata (22), a resident of Pratapgarh, passed away at around 4 a.m., and Vijendra (36) from Pawta (Jaipur) died at around 9:30 a.m. Later, Banshilal (35) also succumbed to his injuries at 1 p.m. Vijay and Vijendra had suffered 70 per cent burns. All three were Rajasthan natives, said officials.

Currently, 15 patients with severe burns are receiving treatment in the burn ward of the SMS Hospital.

The bodies of the deceased have been placed in the hospital mortuary and will be handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations conducted by a medical board. On Tuesday, two more victims, Naresh Babu from Etah (Uttar Pradesh) and Yusuf from Nuh (Haryana), passed away.

Dr Rakesh Jain, a plastic surgeon at SMS Hospital, confirmed that a total of 18 people have died so far. Following the deaths of two individuals on Tuesday, three more fatalities were reported on Wednesday– two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Among the victims were two men and a woman, he added.

One critically injured patient is currently on a ventilator, while 15 others remain under treatment. Additionally, five patients have been discharged — three on Monday and two on Tuesday, he said.

The accident occurred near Bhankrota on the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway on December 20 in which four people were burned alive on the spot, while eight others died the same day during treatment at SMS Hospital. One death was reported at Jaipuria Hospital.

On Tuesday, police interrogated Jaiveer Singh, the driver of the LPG tanker involved in the accident. He revealed that the incident occurred when he made a U-turn to access the ring road at 5.44 a.m. A truck collided with his tanker from behind, leading to the blast. The police have also summoned Anil, the truck owner and a resident of Delhi, for questioning.

Jaiveer Singh recounted that he was alone in the tanker at the time of the accident. After realising the severity of the situation, he fled immediately. The gas leak ignited, creating a massive “ball of fire” that spread across the road. Singh managed to reach the ring road and informed the truck owner, Anil Kumar, about the incident before switching off his phone.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the blast and the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident.