Jaipur: The death toll in Friday's gas tanker explosion on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway has reached 14 as three more people succumbed to their injuries in the last 12 hours.
As many as 25 people are being treated at the burn ward of Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur of which 10 are critical as they have suffered burn injuries covering 50 per cent or more of their body, officials told ETV Bharat.
Only nine bodies have been identified so far. They include: 1. Harlal, son of Nanuram, resident of village Rajpura Piprali Sikar; 2. Anita Meena, daughter of Kanhaiya Lal Meena, resident of village Roshanpura Tehsil Mozmabad; 3. Shahbuddin, son of Mohammad Sheikh, resident of Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh; 4. Mahendra; 5. Shahid, son of Abdul Rehman, resident of Surajpol Udaipur; 6. Faijan, son of Salim resident of Udaipur; 7. Govind; 8. Raju Ram Baberwal, son of Nathuram, resident of Mehrauli Ringas Shri Madhopur Neemkathana; and 9 Radheshyam Chaudhary, son of Motiram Chaudhary resident of village Bal Govindpura Thikariya, Ajmer Road, Jaipur.
What exactly happened
At around 5:30 am on Friday, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker was making a U-turn on the highway at Bhankrota in front of the Delhi Public School when a truck coming from the opposite direction collided with it.
The collision was so strong that the tanker caught fire immediately, engulfing more than 40 vehicles, of which 29 were trucks and tankers, while the remaining included cars and two buses.
The gas leak spread the fire in a flash, leaving no scope for those in nearby vehicles to come out. People were seen rushing and taking off clothes engulfed in flames. The injured were rushed to the SMS hospital in Jaipur in more than 25 ambulances.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph said an outlet nozzle of the LPG tanker was damaged in the collision, leading to a gas leak that caused the blaze. The massive fire turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway into an inferno. After all vehicles were removed, the highway reopened in the night.
Eyewitness recounts horror
People reported witnessing flames from nearly a kilometre away as thick black smoke filled the sky as ambulances and fire brigade vehicles rushed towards the crash zone. A school van driver on his way to pick up students recounted with horror the sight of a man engulfed in flames on the road.
"As I got closer to the spot, I saw people running in haste and shouting for help. I saw a man engulfed in flames. It was a frightening scene. Fire brigades and ambulances were there but it was difficult for them to reach the spot initially," he said. The crash initially affected a nearly 300-metre stretch of the highway, leading to a long queue of vehicles.
14 dead, many in critical condition
Doctors treating the injured said many of them were in critical condition while confirming that 14 people had lost their lives in the incident so far.
"A total of 11 people have died. Five were brought dead to SMS hospital. Five succumbed during treatment. One death was reported from Jaipuria hospital," Dr Deepak Maheshwari, Principal, SMS Medical College, said on Friday evening. Sources at the hospital confirmed three more deaths during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
Separate ICU ward created
Soon after the mishap, Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar instructed hospital authorities to set up a dedicated ICU and ward for the injured.
Forty-three people were brought to the hospital, seven of whom are on ventilator support, Dr Maheshwawri said. Some people with minor injuries left the hospital after dressing. Officials at the spot indicated that the casualty count may go up. The Rajasthan government announced assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and his predecessor Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the deaths.
Jaipur Police helpline
Jaipur Police has issued the helpline numbers 91-66-347-551, 87-64-688-431 and 73-00-363-636 for people to get in touch for inquiries or relevant information.
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