At least nineteen people were killed on Tuesday afternoon when a private passenger bus caught fire in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, authorities said, in one of the region’s deadliest transport accidents this year.
The bus, carrying 57 passengers, was traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur when smoke began to rise from its rear section, according to police accounts cited by Indian broadcaster NDTV. The driver immediately pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, but within moments, flames engulfed the bus, leaving passengers trapped inside as the fire spread rapidly.
Initial investigations suggest that a short circuit may have caused the blaze, though police said a full forensic inquiry was underway to confirm the exact trigger. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as passengers tried to escape through the windows while the inferno consumed the vehicle.
Fifteen passengers, including two children, were rescued with severe burn injuries, some suffering burns covering as much as 70 percent of their bodies, officials said. They were rushed to nearby hospitals in critical condition, and emergency medical teams were dispatched from Jodhpur to assist local authorities in treating the wounded.
“Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time.”
Modi announced that financial assistance would be provided through the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, pledging 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,253) to the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees ($563) to the injured.
Local police cordoned off the highway and began the grim task of identifying victims, many of whom were burned beyond recognition. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after several hours, but only the charred metal frame of the bus remained. Officials said DNA testing would be conducted to confirm the identities of the deceased before handing over their remains to families.
As of Tuesday night, Rajasthan police had not issued an official statement beyond preliminary findings. Reuters said it could not independently verify NDTV’s report, and the state authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Deadly transport accidents are common in India, where road safety standards and vehicle maintenance are often lax. Electrical short circuits, fuel leaks, and overcrowding are frequent causes of fatal bus fires.
The Rajasthan tragedy has once again drawn attention to India’s broader road safety crisis. According to government data, more than 150,000 people die each year in traffic-related incidents across the country — one of the highest rates in the world.
As investigators sift through the wreckage, grief has engulfed families across Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. Outside local hospitals, relatives waited anxiously for news of survivors, while emergency workers continued their efforts to identify the dead.
For many, the tragedy serves as a painful reminder of India’s recurring transport disasters — where human error, poor oversight, and outdated vehicles often turn routine journeys into scenes of unimaginable horror.
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