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Jaipur, Oct 28 (IANS) The sleeper bus that caught fire after coming in contact with a high-tension electrical wire near Jaipur had taken an unpaved road to reach a brick kiln, the Rajasthan government said on Tuesday. Officials said the off-road route brought the vehicle dangerously close to overhead power lines, leading to the fatal fire.
According to Jaipur Collectorate officials, the bus carrying around 65 laborers from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh was headed towards a brick kiln in Todi village when the accident occurred barely 300 meters before the destination. Gas cylinders, motorcycles and household items were loaded on the roof of the bus. When the material hit an overhead high-tension wire, it caused a massive fire followed by a series of explosions.
Two passengers lost their lives in the incident, identified as Naseem (50) and Sahinam (20), both residents of Pilibhit. Five others sustained severe burn injuries and were shifted to Sawai Mansingh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur. Naseem’s wife Najma (40) is among the injured. Sitara (49), wife of Noor Mohammed; Azhar (10), son of Naseem; Altaf (19), son of Noor Mohammed; and Nahim (19), wife of Nawab Hussain. Another injured woman, Chanda (40), wife of Jabbar Hussain, is undergoing treatment at CHC Shahpura.
Shahpura District Transport Officer (DTO) Yashpal Singh Yadav said the bus was registered in Uttar Pradesh and had entered Rajasthan for the first time. “This is the first time that the vehicle has come to Rajasthan from UP. Both the owner and the driver are from Uttar Pradesh. Our investigation shows that the bus was not roadworthy and its registration certificate and driver’s license will be cancelled,” Yadav said. He said that strict action would be taken against operators violating safety norms.
The accident occurred near Manoharpur, about 50 km from Jaipur, when the bus came in contact with a high tension line and caught fire. Officials said two people from Uttar Pradesh died on the spot, while ten others sustained burn injuries. Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Soni visited the spot and said a detailed report would be submitted to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. “The fire started when the material kept on the roof hit the high tension wire,” he said. Teams of police, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Regional Transport Office (RTO) have started investigation.
Electricity department officials confirmed that the route on which the incident occurred was an unpaved road passing through agricultural fields and not a designated public road. As per the Central Electricity Authority Regulations, 2023, the minimum height of an 11 KV overhead line above non-public roads should be at least 15 feet, while at the accident site, it was around 17 feet – indicating that the contact occurred due to the excessive height of the overloaded bus.
Officials confirmed that there were gas cylinders, a motorcycle and several heavy items on the roof of the double-decker sleeper bus, which came in direct contact with the wires, causing the fire. The power supply tripped automatically after a short circuit.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma described the incident as “extremely tragic” and directed officials to ensure best possible medical care for the injured. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. Governor Haribhau Bagde also described the accident as “painful and unfortunate” and expressed his sympathy and strength to the families of the victims.
–IANS
Arch/PGH