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Rajasthan Tragedy Update: 8 People Killed, 35 Injured, 40 Vehicles Charred As LPG Tanker Explodes On Jaipur-Ajmer Highway; Visuals Surface

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Jaipur: A massive fire accident took place on the Jaipur—Ajmer Highway when a tanker filled with LPG gas exploded on Friday morning as a truck hit the gas tanker. The explosion reached a sleeper bus coming from Udaipur to Jaipur and claimed eight lives, while 35 people suffered burn injuries. The number of deaths is likely to increase as some of the injured are reported to be critical. 

As per the officials, the tanker-filled LPG was coming from Ajmer to Jaipur. At around 5.44 in the morning, while taking a U-turn, a truck coming from Jaipur collided with the tanker and within no time, the entire area became a ball of fire. The fire engulfed over 30 vehicles and thick black smoke filled the sky.

The sleeper bus running behind the tanker had 34 passengers on board and as per information 20 of them suffered burn injuries. The bus left Udaipur at 9 pm on Thursday night. At that time, there were 35 passengers in the bus. A passenger had deboarded at Ajmer. The bus was to reach Jaipur at around 6.30 am, but met with the accident at 5.45 am. 

There is a crude oil pipeline and two petrol pumps near the accident site, but all are safe. 

Dr. Sushil Bhati, Superintendent of SMS Hospital of Jaipur said that there 42 persons have been admitted in hospital while eight have been died. Out of these 4 were brought dead.  Among the admitted patients, there are 10 to 12 patients who have suffered more than 60% burns. 6 patients are currently on ventilator.

How Did The Accident Happen?

The tanker filled with LPG was coming from Ajmer to Jaipur. The tanker was taking a U-turn in front of DPS school in Bhankrota. The truck coming from Jaipur hit the nozzle of the gas tanker. About 18 tons of gas spread into the air from the nozzle, and an area of ​​200 meters became a gas chamber. A few seconds later, there was a massive explosion in the tanker and fire spread to the nearby vehicles.

The gas spreading rapidly in the air made the accident horrifying. People living nearby told many people were trying to take off their burning clothes. Mohan Lal, a family member of one of the injured,  said that many people became unconscious due to the gas. The fire was so severe that we turned away. What happened on the spot was not known. Hundreds of birds are lying burnt within a radius of about 400 meters from the accident site. 

Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma tweets, “I am deeply saddened to hear the sad news of casualties of citizens in the gas tanker fire incident on Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway. As soon as the information about the incident was received, I went to SMS Hospital and directed the doctors to provide immediate necessary medical facilities and take proper care of the injured.  Rescue work by the administration is continuing. The local administration and emergency services are working with full readiness. I pray to God to grant the departed souls a place in his supreme abode, give the bereaved families strength to bear this immense loss and provide speedy recovery to the injured.”

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Air India plane crash: 144 victims identified by DNA tests, recovery efforts intensify

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Ahmedabad, June 17: Four days after the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171 en route from Ahmedabad to London, authorities have confirmed that 144 DNA samples have been successfully matched as of noon Tuesday, according to Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi.

The identification process is being led by a combined team from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University, working around the clock to bring clarity to grieving families.

“This is a highly sensitive and emotional task. Every match is not just a technical confirmation, but a step toward giving closure to families waiting in anguish,” an official from the forensic unit said.

Emergency response teams remain stationed at the crash site in Meghaninagar, where investigators continue to recover personal belongings and body fragments amidst the wreckage.

Authorities have stated that all efforts are being made to ensure the dignity of the deceased and transparency in communication with the victims’ relatives.

Tata Group, which re-acquired Air India in 2022, has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs one crore to the families of each of the deceased from the AI‑171 crash near Ahmedabad. In addition, Air India has immediately released an interim relief payout of Rs 25 lakh per family — and to the lone survivor — to cover urgent needs.

The group will also cover all medical expenses for the injured and pledged financial support for rebuilding a damaged hostel at BJ Medical College. Chairman N. Chandrasekaran described it as “one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history.”

As of June 17, rescue and recovery efforts at the Ahmedabad crash site of Air India flight AI-171 remain intense and deeply coordinated. Over 300 firefighters, supported by 60 fire vehicles and 20 water bowsers from Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, ONGC, and other nearby agencies, continue to clear debris and extinguish smouldering wreckage.

On the ground, three NDRF teams, 150 CRPF officers, Indian Army personnel, and teams from the CISF, BSF, and Western Railway Disaster Management are conducting systematic searches for remains and missing belongings.

Specialised sniffer dogs are aiding in the recovery of human remains, while Ahmedabad Police, responding to disturbing reports, have deployed animal rescue teams to safely relocate stray dogs scavenging at the crash site.

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Ahmedabad plane crash: Probe intensifies after 2nd black box recovered

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Ahmedabad, June 16: After the second black box, which is a critical component in determining the cause of the crash, was recovered, the investigators have intensified the probe in the Air India crash case.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), commonly referred to as the second black box, was retrieved from the cockpit section of the wreckage.

This comes days after the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was recovered from the tail end of the aircraft. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures all audio inside the cockpit, including conversations between pilots, radio transmissions, alarm sounds, and any background noise in the final moments before a crash.

It is a crucial tool for investigators, as it helps reconstruct the crew’s decision-making, identify possible human errors or mechanical warnings, and determine the sequence of events that led to an aviation incident.

Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed the findings, noting that both devices are in the process of being analysed. The CVR is expected to provide crucial insights into the final moments of the flight, including pilot communication and cockpit sounds, which may help investigators piece together the chain of events leading up to the tragedy.

The recovery was also acknowledged by P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the crash site on Sunday. During his visit, he reviewed ongoing investigation efforts and later went to the Civil Hospital, where injured passengers and local residents are being treated.

The death toll from the catastrophic Air India crash in Meghaninagar has risen to 270, officials have said. Among the deceased are 241 passengers who were on board the ill-fated flight, as well as several others who were present in nearby hostels, mess halls, and the surrounding residential area when the aircraft went down.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has declared a one-day state mourning on Monday in the state as a mark of respect to former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who lost his life in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. All official functions and celebrations will remain suspended during the mourning period, and the national flag will be flown at half-mast across government buildings.

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Over 1,000 shops gutted in devastating fire at Kolkata’s Khidirpur

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Kolkata, June 16: A devastating fire broke out at a busy marketplace in the Khidirpur area of South Kolkata, West Bengal, early Monday morning, gutting over 1,300 shops. No casualties have been reported so far.

A total of 20 fire tenders are already on the spot trying to bring the fire under control. An official of the state fire services department present at the spot said the fire had been brought under control to a great extent and to the point that it would not spread further.

“However, the problem that is now being faced by the fire-fighters is identifying the hidden ‘fire pockets’ and bringing them under control, following which it could be said that the situation is totally under control. After the task of identifying and deactivating the hidden ‘fire-pockets’ is over, the cooling process will start,” the fire department official said.

However, the local people have alleged that the fire would not have taken the devastating shape had the fire tenders reached the spot in time. The state fire services minister, Sujit Bose, who rushed to the place in the morning, however, denied the allegations.

“This is a baseless allegation. Since the requirement of fire tenders in this case was more, these vehicles reached the spot from multiple locations like Watganj and Garden Reach. The firefighters are risking their lives to bring the situation under control. At the same time, the owners of the shops were also negligent in adopting fire safety norms. I am not trying to blame anybody. But we will be investigating the matter,” Bose said.

However, the local traders, whose shops were gutted, claim otherwise. “First, the fire tenders reached late. Secondly, the vehicles that reached first did not have enough water. Thereafter, arrangements were made to pump water from the nearby flowing stream of the River Ganges. All these delayed the process to a great extent,” a local trader said.

It is learned that the fire was spotted at around 2 a.m. Besides informing the central control line of the state fire services department, the local people also started the initial task of firefighting. However, because of the congested area where the marketplace was located, the fire started spreading rapidly, and the entire market area came under the grip of fire within a very short period.

“Fortunately, the fire broke out at a time when there were hardly any people in the market area. Had the fire broken out in the daytime, there could have been several casualties. However, we fear that the value of the loss of property and assets because of the fire is huge,” said the fire department official.

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