At least 21 passengers died and 15 others were critically injured when an AC sleeper private passenger bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur in Rajasthan caught fire just 10 minutes into the journey on Tuesday.
While 19 people were burnt alive in the bus, a 79-year-old passenger, Hussain, and a 10-year-old boy succumbed to burn injuries in the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur. The 19 people died inside the bus and their charred bodies were later recovered.
Of the other critically injured persons, five were on the life support system. The condition of eight others was also stated to be worrisome.
Police said the incident had a high number of casualties, possibly due to the jammed door of the bus that prevented most passengers from escaping the burning vehicle.
Kailash Dan, Additional SP, Jaisalmer, was quoted as saying in a report that the bus door got locked due to the fire, trapping passengers inside. Most of the people died in the aisle of the bus while possibly trying to escape, he added.
Just 10 minutes after starting its journey from Jaisalmer, the bus turned into a ball of fire near the Army War Memorial. It was reported that the bus door had to be pried open. Some of the passengers who survived with burn injuries managed to escape by breaking windows.
Additional SP Dan said no passengers are reported to be missing, but the police are trying to verify the number of persons who had boarded the bus.
According to the police officer, a short circuit is believed to be the most probable cause of the fire. However, other possibilities, like firecrackers in the bus, are also being looked at.
According to the details available, the bus was a newly registered vehicle and it was making its fourth journey only. It left Jaisalmer around 3 pm and caught fire some 10 minutes later. The bus was due to pick up more passengers on its way to Jodhpur.
Another policeman said, citing eyewitnesses, that a loud explosion took place in the rear of the bus, possibly in the AC compressor. Fuel (diesel), AC gas and fibre-based interiors of the bus made the blaze become intense and spread quickly.
State Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said the bus had only one door. Further, there was no emergency exit or window hammers. The short-circuit/fire activated the automatic door-lock system, trapping people inside.
Since the bus was new, the technical causes of the tragic fire – including the malfunctioning of door locks and the dimensions of the bus body – raised doubts about its mechanical and technical fitness, which required proper investigation, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, in view of questions being raised in respect of design, dimensions, and other mechanical aspects of the bus, ordered action against two officials of the Transport Office.
Accordingly, District Transport Officer (Chittorgarh) Surendra Singh Gehlot and Assistant Administrative Officer Chunni Lal have been suspended for issuing a fitness certificate and the vehicle registration for the bus. The bus is registered in the Chittorgarh district transport office.