An LPG tanker collided with multiple vehicles on Friday, December 20, leading to a massive fireball that turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway into an inferno, killing at least nine people and engulfing more than 30 vehicles in flames. About 35 people were injured, and nearly half are "very critical", Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, who was at the crash site with several officers of his department, said an outlet nozzle of the LPG tanker was damaged in the collision, leading to a gas leak that caused the blaze.
Also Read | Pune-Dighi Highway Accident: 5 Dead, Over 25 Injured After Bus Overturns in Tamhini Ghat.
The explosion was so intense that several vehicles and property within a 300-meter radius were engulfed and completely burned trucks containing LPG and CNG. It is reported that two of the trucks containing fuel also exploded at the time of the collision. Preliminary investigation revealed that the truck that hit the other vehicles was reportedly loaded with a chemical.
CCTV Video of Jaipur Tanker Crash
A CCTV camera installed at a nearby property captured the live footage of the incident. Viral footage shows fire engulfing the premises within seconds and leaving a trail of destruction. Other visuals showed smoke engulfing a street after the tanker collided with other vehicles, leading to a blast and fire.