Faulty lock, lack of emergency exit behind Jaisalmer bus fire accident
Rajasthan sleeper bus, recently converted to AC, caught fire due to a suspected short circuit, leaving 15 critically injured; DNA sampling underway
A faulty automatic door lock system appears to have been the primary reason for the Jaisalmer bus fire accident that killed 20 passengers.
Prima facie, it appears that the automatic door lock system had trapped the passengers inside the bus even as smoke emerged from its rear. Police also noted that the bus lacked emergency exits and window hammers, although a few passengers managed to escape by breaking the windows.
No-AC to AC conversion
A fire on Tuesday (October 14) evening in a sleeper bus killed 20 passengers in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, leaving at least 15 others, including two children, with critical burn injuries. Reports suggested that the bus was converted from a non-AC to an AC sleeper a week ago. A short circuit in the air conditioning system is suspected to have caused the fire, turning its journey into a nightmare.
Within 10 minutes after it started its journey towards Jodhpur with 57 passengers on board, the bus caught on fire. On Wednesday (October 15), police said that the jammed door was the main reason for the high number of casualties.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, who rushed to the spot after hearing about the incident, reviewed the rescue operation and met the survivors. He called the incident "deeply tragic" and ordered advanced medical treatment for those affected.
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Immediate response from Army
Primary investigation revealed that the bus had no emergency exit, no window hammers, and had a narrow aisle that trapped passengers. The automatic door-lock system was activated as wiring caught fire, sealing off escape.
The bus caught fire near the Army War Memorial. Army personnel who witnessed the incident promptly responded and joined the rescue operations with local residents. They had to pry open the door to continue the rescue operations. Meanwhile, a passing water tanker helped douse the fire.
Kailash Dan, Additional SP of Jaisalmer, told the news agency PTI that the fire caused the bus door to become locked, preventing passengers from escaping. He also noted that initial investigations suggested that a short circuit had caused the fire, while police are investigating other possibilities, such as carrying firecrackers inside the bus.
According to Dan, no missing person has been reported yet. He said that the forensic teams have been inspecting the site since last night.
"We are verifying the number of persons. CCTV footage from the departure point of the bus and the route has been collected and is being examined," he said, adding that, "most of the bodies were found in the aisle of the bus, which shows that people tried to escape but couldn't because the door was stuck".
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19 charred bodies were recovered from the bus, and 16 critically injured people were rushed to the hospital in Jodhpur. However, one passenger died on the way to the hospital. Photo: PTI
DNA sampling underway
Jaisalmer SP Abhishek Shivhare said that 19 charred bodies were recovered from the bus, and 16 critically injured people were rushed to the hospital in Jodhpur. However, one passenger died on the way to the hospital. "The bodies were sent to Jodhpur for DNA sampling and identification. They will be handed over to families after the forensic science laboratory confirms a match," he said.
Among the 15 injured, two are children and four are women. Some have up to 70 per cent burn injuries. All were first taken to the government hospital in Jaisalmer before being referred to Jodhpur.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, after hearing upon the incident, ended his meeting scheduled in Jaipur and rushed to the spot. He was coordinating with officials who were on the ground till he reached Jaisalmer at night.
Hospital services
Sharma then proceeded to Jodhpur and met family members of the victims. He instructed doctors to provide the best possible medical care to the injured and reviewed the availability of critical care infrastructure in the burn unit, including ventilators, oxygen support, ICU beds, and essential medicines. Sharma also directed that the families of the victims be provided with proper accommodation, meals, and all necessary support within the hospital premises.
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The CM spoke with local legislators, party workers, and administrative officials in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, appealing to them to assist in relief efforts. He also instructed Cabinet Minister Madan Dilawar to remain in Jodhpur to oversee the situation.
A dedicated medical monitoring team has been deployed to ensure round-the-clock care in Jodhpur.
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited the spot on October 14 night. Photo: PTI
No emergency exit
Rescue officials described the bus as a "fireball" that gave passengers little time to react. It was a newly registered vehicle, which was only on its fourth journey. The bus had departed Jaisalmer around 3 pm and was scheduled to pick up more passengers along the route.
A policeman, citing eyewitness accounts, said that a loud blast was heard from the rear of the bus, believed to be from the AC compressor. The resulting blaze was intensified by diesel, AC gas, and fibre-based interiors.
"There was only one door on the bus, which got jammed. Most passengers could not escape. The Army recovered as many bodies as they could, but some were burnt to ashes beyond recognition," Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said.
(With inputs from agency)