In Rajasthan, a tragic road accident occurred near Jaisalmer yesterday when an AC sleeper bus caught fire, leaving 20 people dead and several others injured. The incident took place around 3:30 PM on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway. According to reports, 19 passengers were charred to death inside the bus, while one person succumbed to burn injuries during treatment. Pokaran MLA Pratappuri confirmed to the media that 20 people have lost their lives in the incident, which is believed to have been caused by a short circuit.

 

 

Over 50 people were on board at the time of the accident. 15 passengers have been injured, many of whom have suffered severe burns of up to 70 percent. The injured have been admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur for treatment. Officials said that the bodies of the victims were badly burnt and their identities will be confirmed through DNA testing. Jaisalmer District Collector Pratap Singh has appealed to the families of missing passengers to contact the district administration.

 

 

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited the accident site in the evening and later met the injured at the Jodhpur hospital. He directed officials to ensure proper medical care for all the victims.

 

 

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed condolences over the tragic deaths of several people. In a social media post, the President said that the news of several people losing their lives in the bus fire was extremely heartbreaking. She conveyed her deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who were injured. Vice President Radhakrishnan also expressed deep anguish over the tragedy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

 

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. The Central Government has announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 each for those injured.