Jaipur, Oct 14 (IANS) The DNA sampling began on Wednesday to identify the victims of the horrific bus fire that claimed at least 20 lives near Thaiyat village on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway in Rajasthan.

The authorities are collecting DNA samples from two relatives of each missing passenger at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur and Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer.

Late Tuesday night, 19 severely charred bodies were transported from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur. Among them was a bundle of bones believed to be human remains. One badly injured person died while being shifted to Jodhpur, bringing the confirmed death toll to 20.

The fire broke out around 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday in a moving AC sleeper bus carrying 57 passengers.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. The intensity of the blaze left several passengers trapped inside. Some bodies were found stuck to the bus frame, while others were reduced entirely to ashes.

Among the deceased are local journalist Rajendra Chauhan and five members of a single family.

At least 15 passengers sustained serious injuries, with burn levels reaching up to 70 per cent. Among the injured is a couple returning to Jodhpur following a pre-wedding shoot. The injured were initially rushed to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer before being referred to Jodhpur for further treatment. A green corridor was created along National Highway 125 to facilitate the speedy transfer of patients. At Mathura Das Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur, the trauma centre was evacuated, and emergency preparations were put in place to receive the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced financial aid for the victims’ families. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives and property in the Jaisalmer accident,” he posted on X. The Prime Minister’s Relief Fund will provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured.

Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, who visited the site, said a blast near the rear of the bus may have been caused by the AC compressor. “We suspect the AC compressor exploded, triggering a fire that spread rapidly due to the presence of diesel and gas. There was only one exit door, which trapped the passengers inside. The police recovered some of the bodies, but several individuals were reduced to ashes.

‘It’s impossible to determine what happened to them,” Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully accused the government of withholding the actual death toll. “I tried calling the Jaisalmer Collector, but there was no response. From this bus tragedy to the SMS Hospital incident, repeated negligence is being ignored. Instead of fixing responsibility, the government hides the numbers and tries to cover up its failures,” he alleged.

A forensic team has been dispatched from Jodhpur to assist in identification efforts, which are expected to take several days due to the extent of the damage. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Health Minister Gajendra Singh are expected to visit Jaisalmer to review the situation and meet with affected families.

–IANS

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