A massive fire engulfed the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway late Tuesday night after a truck loaded with LPG cylinders exploded following a high-impact collision near the Sanwarda area in Dudu. Seven vehicles were completely destroyed in the blaze.
The explosions were so powerful that they were heard from kilometres away, and the resulting flames were visible up to 10 kilometres from the site.
A plume of thick black smoke rose into the sky after massive explosions, burning at least seven vehicles into ashes. Visuals from the incident spot show people running on foot as well as in their vehicles to save themselves while multiple explosions taking place.
According to police, a tanker rammed into the stationary LPG-laden truck from behind. The truck, which was reportedly attempting a turn at an illegal point and parked outside a roadside hotel while its driver was away for a meal, exploded on impact. The force of the collision caused an instant fireball, followed by a terrifying series of explosions as gas cylinders ignited one after another.
Traffic on both sides of the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway was halted immediately as emergency services rushed to the scene. Dozens of fire brigade vehicles from Dudu, Bagru, and Kishangarh are working to contain the fire. Police cordoned off the area, and senior district and police officials, including IG Jaipur Rahul Prakash, are overseeing rescue and relief operations.
Initial reports suggest that two to three people, including the tanker driver, were injured. The driver of the offending vehicle has been given primary treatment at a local hospital in Dudu, according to CMHO Jaipur-I, Dr Ravi Shekhawat. No one has been admitted to SMS Hospital in Jaipur as of now.
Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, who reached the site on the directions of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, said that the situation is under control. “There is no information on casualties yet,” Bairwa told reporters, adding that drivers and cleaners of the involved vehicles are currently missing. Police and administration are actively searching for them.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a similar tragedy that occurred 10 months ago in Bhankrota, when a gas tanker explosion on the same highway killed 19 people.
Source: India Today