CCTV footage captured the devastating moment when fire quickly spread across a property, mere minutes after a gas tanker collided with multiple vehicles, turning the Jaipur-Ajmer highway into an inferno on Friday morning. The visuals showed flames consuming a residence, likely situated near the highway, leaving widespread destruction. Other footage revealed thick smoke filling the streets, followed by a powerful blast and an escalating fire.
The collision, which has claimed at least 11 lives, caused heavy black smoke to billow into the sky, with visible flames from nearly a kilometer away. The fire ravaged a 300-meter stretch of the highway.
However, ambulances and fire department vehicles quickly arrived at the scene of the accident, where the fire had damaged at least 30 vehicles. Efforts are underway to gather information about the passengers aboard a bus that was behind the gas tanker at the time of the collision. Additionally, the extent of the damage to establishments along the highway is still being assessed.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar visited the SMS Hospital, where more than 40 people injured in the accident are being treated. Khimsar informed reporters that nearly half of the injured are in critical condition. Additionally, a ‘green corridor’ has been established from the accident site to SMS Hospital to facilitate the swift transportation of the injured.
An eyewitness, who narrowly escaped the fire, shared his account with NDTV. He described being just a few meters away from the trucks involved in the crash. “I was on my way home in a car with two friends. Everything happened right in front of us. There’s often a traffic jam at this spot because trucks take a turn. When we reached the area, I stopped the car immediately as we saw smoke coming from one of the trucks. We thought it was a gas leak. But as I tried to reverse the car, we heard an explosion,” said Vivek.
He reportedly described how he immediately jumped out of his car and ran to the opposite side of the highway. “After I ran away, there was an explosion in the truck, and slowly, all the vehicles around us caught fire. I managed to escape, but my two friends were injured, one of them critically,” he said. Reflecting on how close he came to disaster, he added, “If I had been two or three seconds late, I would have been caught in the fire.”
Another eyewitness, a school van driver, recounted the horrifying scene, describing it as “frightening.” He witnessed people running in panic and heard desperate cries for help. “I saw a man engulfed in flames. It was terrifying. Fire brigades and ambulances arrived, but they initially struggled to reach the spot,” he told PTI. Locals reported seeing flames from over a kilometer away.
The explosion from the CNG tanker was so intense that it engulfed several vehicles within a 300-meter radius, with many drivers suffering severe burns, some in critical condition. Authorities confirmed that the explosion occurred after a truck collided with the tanker near the petrol pump. CCTV footage showed the tanker exploding, sending massive black smoke into the sky. Over 40 people were injured, and at least 28 victims remain in critical condition. Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck involved in the crash was carrying chemicals.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the incident and expressed condolences over the loss of lives.
“The road accident in Jaipur, Rajasthan is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. I spoke to the Chief Minister Mr Bhajanlal Sharma in this regard. The local administration is working to provide immediate treatment to the injured. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on X
