At least twenty people lost their lives when a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire on Tuesday, as confirmed by a BJP MLA from Pokaran. The bus, carrying fifty-seven passengers, had departed Jaisalmer around 3 pm when smoke was seen emerging from its rear while it was moving along the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur highway. The driver stopped the vehicle immediately, but the fire quickly engulfed it. Local residents and passers-by rushed to assist, while fire tenders and police reached the scene promptly. Injured passengers were initially treated at Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer, and sixteen critically injured individuals were later referred to a hospital in Jodhpur for specialised care. Preliminary investigations by the police suggest that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the tragedy, stating that he was deeply distressed by the loss of lives and extending his thoughts to the affected families. He announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident.
The Jaisalmer district administration confirmed that immediate relief and rescue operations were launched following the accident. District Collector Pratap Singh directed officials to ensure timely medical attention for all injured passengers and issued helpline numbers for families seeking information about their loved ones.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited Jaisalmer to inspect the accident site, expressing gratitude to the army personnel and local residents who assisted in the rescue and relief efforts. He was accompanied by Pokaran MLA Pratap Puri, MLA Sangh Singh Bhati, and other district officials. Due to the gravity of the incident, the Chief Minister cancelled a scheduled campaign programme in Patna. Political leaders, including Governor Haribhau Bagade, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and BJP state president Madan Rathore, also conveyed their condolences. In a post on X, Chief Minister Sharma described the incident as “extremely heart-wrenching” and emphasised that all necessary measures had been taken to provide proper treatment to the injured and extend every possible assistance to the victims.
