A fire that broke out after a truck hit an LPG tanker early Friday morning in Jaipur’s Bhankrota area engulfed more than 30 vehicles. In this accident, eight people were burnt alive and 35 others suffered burn injuries. The officers provided this information. Medical department officials said that eight people have died in the accident and about 35 people burnt in the fire are admitted in the hospital, some of whom are on ventilator.
Officials said that the accident happened at around quarter to six in the morning. According to initial information, an LPG tanker was hit by a truck near Bhankrota on the Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway, causing a fire. He told that within no time the fire took a huge form and many trucks and cars including a bus passing by got caught in it.
In the video of the incident, people were seen running to save their lives and initially the local people took them to the hospital.
Eyewitnesses said the flames were visible from a kilometer away and a large part of the national highway had turned into a “ball of fire”. Officials said that according to preliminary information, at least 31 vehicles were burnt, including 29 trucks and two buses. According to the police, it is suspected that perhaps due to the sudden fire, some people could not come out of their vehicles and got burnt inside.
He said that the situation would become clear only after a thorough investigation of all the vehicles. State Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar said the condition of about half of the injured was ‘extremely critical’. It is being told that many birds have also been found dead in the accident area and local people have complained of itching in the eyes and difficulty in breathing due to the smoke.
Bhankrota police station in-charge Manish Gupta said that initially it was difficult to control the fire.
“Initially the fire brigade could not reach the burning vehicles,” he said. There are three petrol pumps in the area, but it is a matter of relief that they have not suffered any damage.
Gupta said that the incident took place in front of a private school and more than 25 ambulances were used to take the victims to the hospital.
“On initial information, some fire tenders from Mansarovar fire station reached the spot, but later fire tenders were also sent from other centres,” a fire department official said.
A team from the Regional Transport Office also reached the spot to investigate the incident.
Officials said forensic experts have collected evidence from the spot and a pipe manufacturing factory along the national highway was also destroyed and pipes melted.
About 300 meters of the national highway was affected in the accident, causing a long queue of vehicles.
A school van driver said the flames were visible from a kilometer away and there was chaos.
A team from the district administration is present in the hospital to help the families of the victims. Jaipur Police has issued helpline numbers to assist those injured in the accident.
