Jaipur Gas Tanker Tragedy: 11 Dead, Several Critically Injured; Faulty LPG Nozzle Sparks Fire

Jaipur Gas Tanker Blaze: Death Toll Rises to 11, Several Critically Injured as Huge Fire Engulfs Vehicles and Buildings.

The tragic LPG tanker accident on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway Friday claimed 11 lives; nearly half of the victims are in critical condition said officials. The collision saw a devastating fire engulfing 37 vehicles and adjoining structures.

“A total of 11 people have lost their lives. Five were brought dead to SMS Hospital, five succumbed during treatment, and one fatality was reported at Jaipuria Hospital,” said Dr. Deepak Maheshwari, Principal of SMS Medical College.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph has said that the fire began to rage when the LPG tanker’s outlet nozzle was damaged by the collision, which released gas and ignited the flames.

The accident took place at around 5:30 a.m. near a school. Fire engulfed vehicles behind the tanker and those coming in the opposite direction.

“Vehicles behind the tanker were on fire, and the fire continued to the vehicles coming in the opposite direction, leading to numerous accidents,” Joseph said.

Forty-three injured were admitted to hospitals, seven of them needing ventilators, Dr. Maheshwari said. Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Rajasthan Health Minister, stated that many of the injured are in an extremely critical condition.

Eyewitness Accounts

Witnesses described harrowing scenes from the tragedy. Passengers on a bus that caught fire recounted how they narrowly escaped death.

“My friend and I were traveling from Rajsamand to Jaipur when our bus suddenly stopped. We heard a loud blast and saw flames everywhere. The bus door was locked, so we broke a window and jumped out, along with seven or eight others. Explosions kept happening one after another,” an eyewitness told ANI.

A school van driver witnessed the chaos from a distance, saying that the flames were visible even a kilometer away. “As I came closer, people were running and screaming for help. I saw a man on fire. It was scaring. Emergency services reached there but could not find a way to the location,” he said.

One witness revealed that those who could not run from their vehicles suffered grave burn injuries. “We woke up to a blast at 5:30 a.m. Those who managed to jump out survived, but many couldn’t escape and were burned. An entire stretch of 100-200 meters was ablaze,” he said.

Government Response

The Rajasthan government declared financial support of ₹5 lakh for the families and ₹1 lakh for the injured people following the accident.