At least 20 people were killed and several others injured after a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire near Thaiyat village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district on Tuesday.
Officials said the fire erupted when smoke was noticed emerging from the rear section of the moving bus, which had departed from Jaisalmer around 3 p.m. “The moving bus burst into flames. Casualties have been reported, and the injured have been rushed to the hospital. Rescue operations are ongoing,” said Jaisalmer Additional SP Kailash Dhan.
Local villagers and passersby rushed to help passengers before fire and police teams arrived at the site. Jodhpur Police Commissioner Om Prakash Paswan confirmed that 16 injured passengers were taken to Jodhpur for treatment — 15 to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and one to Shri Ram Hospital.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, posting on X that the loss of lives in the Jaisalmer bus fire was “deeply saddening.” She extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief and announced financial aid for the victims. In a statement, the Prime Minister said, “Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.” The Prime Minister’s Office announced that ₹2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited the accident site and met officials supervising the rescue operation. He termed the incident “extremely heart-wrenching” and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
“The state government stands firmly with the families of the victims and will provide every possible assistance,” he said in a post on X.
The district administrations of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer have issued helpline numbers for families seeking information about their relatives. Authorities have also requested public assistance in identifying victims of the KK Travels bus (RJ 09 PA 8040). DNA samples are being collected from close relatives of the deceased at Cottages 4 and 5 of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur and at the Trauma Centre of Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer.
