At least five people were killed and 40 sustained grave burn injuries when a LPG tanker exploded with a big bang after collision with a truck near Bhankrota on the outskirts of the city Friday morning.
The tanker was taking a turn towards Bagru at the Ajmer Jaipur Highway when a speeding truck hit it from the rear causing the explosion in the tanker that instantly caught fire.
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The blaze was so intense that it soon engulfed several vehicles and some shops along the road.
According to Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Soni, five people died in the mishap and many sustained injuries. Several vehicles caught fire in the accident, Soni said.
The toll is likely to go up even as unofficial reports put casualties at seven.
According to Health Secretary Ambrish Kumar, 39 people were brought to the SMS Hospital here, and four of them succumbed later. The other 35 injured were being treated at the hospital.
Several Fire Brigade teams were at work to extinguish the flames.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma rushed to the accident site to take stock of the situation and inspect rescue and relief operations.
Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar also took stock of arrangements for treatment of the injured at the hospital, and met the victims.
