A deadly road accident in the early hours of Thursday, May 14, claimed four lives and left ten others injured in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district. Four passengers were charred to death and ten others suffered burn injuries when a private bus caught fire after crashing into a tanker on the Chotila-Rajkot National Highway.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 am near Sangani village, when most passengers aboard the bus were asleep.
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What caused the crash
The tanker, reportedly carrying bitumen, a black hydrocarbon material, went out of control after one of its tyres burst. Moments later, the bus coming from behind crashed into it with massive impact.
Officials said the collision triggered a short circuit in the bus, which quickly burst into flames. Many passengers were asleep and had little time to escape before the fire spread through the vehicle.
The private luxury bus was travelling towards Rajkot from Ahmedabad when it collided with the asphalt-laden tanker moving ahead of it.
Scale of the tragedy
The bus was carrying around 40 passengers when the accident occurred. The fire spread rapidly through the vehicle trapping several occupants inside. The bodies of the four deceased were reportedly charred beyond recognition.
Around ten people suffered serious injuries, while several others managed to escape from the burning bus.
Deputy Collector HT Makwana confirmed the grim toll. “Four passengers were burnt alive in the collision between the private bus and the tanker filled with asphalt,” he said.
Rescue and relief operations
After being alerted, a firefighting team rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. Police personnel and emergency responders also reached the scene quickly and began rescue operations.
The injured persons were referred to Rajkot Civil Hospital, and the bodies were shifted to Chotila Referral Hospital for post-mortem examination. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
The accident also led to traffic congestion on the highway for several hours.