A Jaisalmer bus fire incident victim's family member burst into tears at the Jodhpur hospital, where the DNA samples of the family were taken to identify charred bodies on Wednesday, October 15. To provide DNA samples for the identification of his brother's remains, a family member arrived at the hospital in the early hours today, but the staff asked him to wait until doctors arrived at 11 am. Hearing this, the man got angry and allegedly blamed the Rajasthan government and administration for his fate.
Speaking to the media at the hospital, the fumed family member said, "Why will doctors come at 11 am?... If courts are forced to open at 2 am in the night, why can't doctors come early?".
He further asked, "Is there a shortage of doctors in Jodhpur? The families are in distress—does anyone understand what they are going through? Go to each household and see what trauma they are facing. Ask the Chief Minister why the DNA test is scheduled for 11 AM instead of 6 AM in the morning."
Also Read | Jaisalmer Bus Fire: Samples of Two Family Members Being Taken to Identify 19 Dead Bodies.
He also claimed that some are saying that the bus that burst into flames, resulting in the death of 20 passengers on board, was modified. "If the bus was modified than, why officials gave it 'OK' permission to the bus," he alleged Rajasthan traffic department for the allowing bus to transport passengers.
As per the information, the ill-fated private bus was recently modified from non-AC to AC just one week before the incident. The fire broke out near Thaiyat village, killing 20 people, including three children, as the flames engulfed the bus blocking all the emergency exits.
The Jodhpur-based KK Travels was handling the operation of the bus, which had departed from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur at its scheduled time of 3 PM. As per eye witness, the fire broke out when the bus reached the Jaisalmer Army station. A likely short circuit in the newly fitted air-conditioning system caused a gas leak that ignited the front portion of the bus. The blaze further increased after catching seat cushions and window curtains, as passengers had no way to escape.
The bus turned into a death trap within minutes. 19 charred bodies of passengers, including children were recovered from inside the bus, while 16 critically injured passengers were transported to Jawahar Hospital for treatment and later shifted to Jodhpur. One of them, 75-year-old Hussain Khan, succumbed to injuries during treatment.