12 killed in explosion on Jaipur highway after LPG tanker-truck crash

A truck hit the tanker carrying chemicals and caught fire. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

Within seconds, Mohanlal turned around his bike and shot straight to the spot. “It took me a good 15 minutes to find Haralal,” he told The Indian Express at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, where both his nephew and Raju are currently being treated.

According to officials, 30 people were wounded in the incident, six of whom are on ventilator support. It took the fire department over seven hours to get the fire completely under control.

#WATCH | The moment when the truck collision led to a massive fire outside a petrol pump near #Jaipur pic.twitter.com/COUSG1SlCy

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) December 20, 2024

Among the wounded are 20 passengers of a sleeper bus that was caught in the explosion.

“It was dark when it happened and it was difficult to see what was happening. But later we came to know an LPG tanker had collided with a truck,” said Manish Gupta, the Station House Officer of Bhankrota Police Station. “There were so many vehicles that by the time we brought one under control, the others had already caught on fire. All damaged vehicles have been cleared from the road but it hasn’t been opened to traffic. The route will be opened late night.”

Eyewitnesses told The Indian Express that the explosion could be heard for miles.

More than 20 vehicles and a pipe factory situated on the highway also caught fire. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

“Around 42 people were admitted to the hospital in the morning. Of these, 12 died. Some people were admitted to hospital but they were eventually discharged since their injuries were not grievous,” SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent Sushil Bhati said.

At least eight people were killed and 37 injured. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

Of those deceased, four were brought dead but were so badly burnt that they could not be identified, officials said. Most of the vehicles involved in the accident belonged to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

As soon as the blast was reported, more than 30 ambulances and fire brigade vehicles reached the spot. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra visited the wounded at the two hospitals. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident on Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected,” the post said.