Tragedy on Jaipur-Ajmer Highway: LPG Tanker Explosion Claims 14 Lives, Injures Dozens

Jaipur, Rajasthan: A devastating explosion early Wednesday morning on the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway claimed 14 lives, injured 28 others, and left nearly 40 vehicles scorched. The accident occurred around 5:45 am when a truck collided with an LPG tanker attempting a U-turn.

Mohanlal, 47, received a distressing call just minutes after dropping his nephew Harlal and another relative at the highway. “It took me 15 minutes to find Harlal amidst the chaos,” he recounted at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, where his nephew and relative are undergoing treatment.

The fire from the explosion raged for over seven hours, requiring extensive efforts by the fire department to extinguish it. Among the injured, four remain on ventilator support, while 20 others were passengers aboard a sleeper bus that was caught in the flames.

According to Manish Gupta, Station House Officer of Bhankrota Police Station, visibility during the early hours added to the challenge of containing the rapidly spreading fire. SMS Hospital officials confirmed that several of the injured were later discharged after being treated for minor injuries.

Tragically, four of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition. Officials noted that most vehicles involved in the accident hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra visited the injured at local hospitals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

The highway remains closed for traffic and is expected to reopen later tonight.