October 15, 2025 : At least 20 passengers were burnt alive and 16 were critically injured after a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire on Tuesday, PTI reported, citing the police.
The police said that the bus was carrying 57 passengers and had left Jaisalmer around 3pm. Prima facie, it appears that the fire broke out due to a short circuit, according to them.
According to the news agency PTI, smoke started billowing from the back of the bus on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway. The driver pulled over, but soon, flames covered the entire bus.
Locals and passers-by rushed to the spot and assisted in the rescue efforts. Army personnel also assisted in the operation.
The police added that 16 critically injured passengers were referred to a hospital in Jodhpur.
BJP MLA from Pokran Pratap Puri informed PTI that while 19 passengers died in the bus, one person succumbed to burn injuries on the way to Jodhpur.
Upon receiving information regarding the incident, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma reached Jaisalmer and was briefed by the officers, according to PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief following the incident, and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased victims.
President Droupadi Murmu also grieved the loss of lives in the fire, calling the incident “extremely heartbreaking”
“The news of the deaths of several people due to a fire in a bus in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” President Murmu said in a post on X.
Summary:
A tragic bus fire in Jaisalmer killed 20 passengers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced ex-gratia compensation for the victims’ families.