20 dead as moving bus bursts into flames

In a devastating tragedy, 20 people were killed when an air-conditioned sleeper bus caught fire on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway on Tuesday afternoon, turning a routine journey into an inferno. Nineteen passengers were charred to death on the spot, while one succumbed during treatment in Jodhpur late in the evening.

- ARVIND PALAWAT

The incident occurred around 3:30 pm near Thaiyat village, about 20 kilometres from Jaisalmer, when the Jodhpur-bound KK Travels bus suddenly burst into flames—reportedly due to a short circuit in the air-conditioning system. The vehicle had been bought only five days ago and was recently modified into an AC sleeper coach.

Eyewitnesses said flames erupted from the rear of the moving bus near the War Museum, quickly engulfing the entire vehicle. Passengers screamed for help as the door locked automatically, trapping them inside. Some smashed windows to leap out while the bus was still in motion, sustaining severe burns and fractures. The fibre interiors and curtains fuelled the blaze, leaving the bus completely gutted within minutes.