A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday when a private AC sleeper bus traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire near Thaiyat village in Rajasthan. Officials say 20 passengers were burnt to death, and 16 others were critically injured.
The bus, which had departed Jaisalmer at around 3:00 p.m., reportedly began emitting smoke from its rear section shortly thereafter. The driver attempted to stop along the roadside, but within moments the flames engulfed the vehicle entirely.
Rescue teams, local villagers, and Army personnel rushed to the scene. The injured were initially admitted to Jawahar Hospital, Jaisalmer, with the severely burned later transferred to hospitals in Jodhpur for specialized treatment.
Preliminary investigations point to a short circuit as the likely cause of the fire, though an official forensic probe is underway.
In response, the Rajasthan district administration has appealed to the public to help in identifying the deceased. The Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited Jaisalmer, expressed condolences, and ordered all possible support and medical aid for victims and their families.
