Jaipur: 5 dead as truck carrying chemicals collides with vehicles, catches fire

Five people were burnt alive and 37 injured in a major fire incident on the Jaipur-Ajmer national highway in Jaipur on Friday morning, 20 December 2024, after a truck loaded with a chemical collided with some other vehicles, police said.

They said around 30 trucks and other vehicles were gutted in the fire.

"Five people have died and 37 are injured," police commissioner Biju George Joseph told PTI.

Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited the SMS hospital, where the injured were admitted, and spoke to doctors.

He issued directions to officials and doctors to ensure proper treatment and other arrangements.

SHO of Bhankrota Manish Gupta said, "It was very difficult to control the fire. Fire brigade teams were not able to reach the burning vehicles. There were three petrol pumps in the affected area but fortunately, they are safe."

More than 25 ambulances reached the spot and shifted the victims to the hospital.

The tanker full of chemicals caught fire after being hit by a truck near Pushparaj Petrol Pump near Bhankrota on Ajmer Road in the capital at around 5.30 am on Friday.

The explosion was heard up to 10 kilometers away, terrifying local residents who were left wondering what had taken place.

A nearly 300-metre stretch of the highway was affected by the accident. Traffic movement was stopped, leading to a long queue of vehicles.

Authorities also shut down the LPG pipeline running beneath the highway to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The area has been cordoned off, and traffic on the 300-metre highway stretch has been halted.

Travelers are advised to take alternate routes. The highway remains closed following the blast and fire.