At least five people were killed and 35 left critically injured when an LPG tanker caught fire and exploded near the Pushparaj Petrol Pump in Bhankrota on Ajmer Road around 5.30 am on Friday.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BenefitNews24/status/1869952038496309527">fire was so intense</a> that it engulfed several vehicles in a 300-metre radius. Witnesses say at least 20 vehicles, including a sleeper bus, were incinerated. Local residents reported that the first explosion was heard up to 10km away, with several repeated explosions as many of the fuel tanks burst.
The injured persons have been admitted to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, where they were visited by&nbsp;Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.
Senior police and fire department officials responded promptly to the emergency, arriving at the site to contain the blaze.
Multiple fire trucks were deployed to battle the fire which was raging in all directions as many other vehicles were burning at the site.
Authorities also shut down the LPG pipeline running beneath the highway to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Locals believe the accident may have been caused by a technical malfunction in the tanker, though the exact cause will only be determined after an investigation.
The area has been cordoned off, and traffic on the highway has been halted.
Travellers are advised to take alternate routes. The highway remains closed following the blast and fire.
More than 30 ambulances and fire brigade vehicles were dispatched to the scene immediately.
Rescue operations have been challenging due to the spread of gas and fire. At the time of filing this copy, efforts were still on to douse the fire.
(With agency input)

Witnesses said that the flames were visible from a distance.

Jaipur blast incinerates 20 vehicles in 300m radius, spread of gas challenge for rescue ops

LPG Tanker Explosion Leaves 7 Dead 35 Injured

Jaipur blast incinerates 20 vehicles in 300m radius, spread of gas challenge for rescue ops

December 20, 2024 | 09:23 IST