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by IANS |
Jaipur, Dec 22 (IANS) A horrific road accident on the Bharatmala Expressway in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district led to a massive fire, claiming the life of a trailer driver who was burnt alive.
Another person sustained serious injuries, while traffic on the highway remained disrupted for several hours.
The accident occurred around 10 p.m. on Sunday on the Bharatmala Highway between Ratan Nagar and Chandaliya villages under the Osian police station area.
According to Osian SHO Rajendra Chaudhary, a trailer carrying clay used for tile manufacturing was travelling from Punjab to Gujarat. As it reached the Ratan Nagar-Chandaliya stretch, it rammed into a peanut-laden truck moving ahead of it. The impact caused the trailer to lose control and crash into the divider, triggering a massive fire. Within moments, flames engulfed the trailer’s cabin.
The driver was trapped inside and died after being burned alive, while the cleaner sustained serious injuries. Local villagers rushed to the scene and attempted to douse the fire using tractor-mounted water tankers filled from nearby tube wells. However, the blaze intensified due to highly flammable material. A fire tender from Osian -- located nearly 30 km away -- reached the spot after about an hour. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after nearly two hours of effort.
The truck involved in the collision was loaded with peanuts, which also caught fire due to the intense heat. Police said the truck driver managed to escape safely, thereby saving his life.
The massive fire caused panic in the area, with flames visible from a long distance.
The accident led to a 5km traffic jam stretching on both sides of the expressway. Osian police later reached the spot and diverted vehicles through alternate routes to ease congestion.
Local residents alleged that despite the severity of the incident, administrative authorities and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials reached the spot late. They claimed there were no immediate firefighting arrangements, allowing the vehicles to burn completely before the fire brigade arrived.
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