Nineteen people were feared dead after a moving AC sleeper bus caught fire on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway near Thaiyat village on Tuesday. The fire, which broke out at about 3:30 pm, rapidly engulfed the entire vehicle and left passengers with little time to react.
Eyewitnesses recounted heart-wrenching scenes of people leaping from the moving bus in a desperate attempt to save themselves from the flames. The bus was carrying 57 passengers.
Jaisalmer Collector Pratap Singh said the fire was so severe that the entire bus was reduced to ashes. “There are only dead bodies inside the bus now. Even after four hours, the vehicle remains too hot to recover the remains,” he said.
A forensic team from Jodhpur has been dispatched to assist in the investigations and identify the deceased. According to preliminary assessments, the fire was triggered by a short circuit, although an official inquiry is underway.
While nearby villagers and passers-by rushed to the spot to assist in rescue operations, eight ambulances have been pressed into service with a green corridor created along National Highway 125 to ensure the swift transportation of the injured to Jodhpur.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has taken a detailed report from the district administration regarding the cause of the accident.
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