Massive gas tanker explosion in India kills 14

A catastrophic gas-tanker explosion in western India has resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and has left 40 others injured, many critically. The incident occurred on Friday morning when a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker near a petrol pump ignited after a collision involving a truck and several other vehicles.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that the tanker was making a U-turn near a junction in the state capital Jaipur known to be a prominent accident spot, when it was struck by a fully-laden truck. The force of the collision caused the tanker’s nozzles to break, leading to a significant leak of LPG. The gas quickly ignited, triggering a series of explosions that engulfed nearby vehicles, including cars and a bus full of passengers.

Footage of the accident that went viral on social media captured the extensive damage, showing charred remnants of vehicles scattered across approximately 300 meters of road, with emergency services working to clear the wreckage.

Bulldozers were deployed to facilitate traffic flow, while multiple fire engines responded to the blaze, flames from which were visible from nearly a mile away.

Witnesses cited by local media narrated harrowing scenes, particularly involving passengers trapped aboard the bus. Its exit doors became jammed during the fire, preventing escape. As of Saturday, authorities confirmed that 28 of the injured were in critical condition.

Another viral video showed a person with charred skin walking on the road in search of help. “People told me he walked nearly 600 meters from the explosion site. They said he was crying for help as he struggled down the road. But instead of helping, most bystanders just made videos,” the man’s bother, Akheram, was quoted by Times of India as saying. The victim, who had sustained 85% burns, later succumbed to his injuries.

Friday’s incident in Jaipur has raised fresh concerns about safety standards for transport and fuel handling in the world’s most populous nation. Experts quoted by PRI news agency called for investigations into existing protocols and measures to prevent such tragedies.

The state of Rajasthan, where the accident has occurred, saw a 13% rise in road accidents and an 11% increase in fatalities in 2022 compared to the previous year, PRI reported. Rajasthan was also among the six large states that accounted for nearly 55%t of the 173,000 road-accident deaths in the country in 2023.

Experts criticized the hasty inauguration of infrastructure projects in the state and highlighted the lack of essential safety features at the accident site, such as proper lighting and signaling. The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety has requested a report from the Rajasthan government and urged a comprehensive road-safety improvement plan.