New Delhi: At least seven people were killed and 37 others were injured after a truck loaded with chemical collided with other vehicles on the Jaipur-Ajmer national highway on Friday (December 20) early morning, said officials.
The resulting fire from the collision led to 30 trucks and other vehicles being gutted with a 300 metre stretch on the highway in Jaipur getting affected owing to the incident. Of those injured, 12 are critical, reported the Press Trust of India.
Multiple fire brigades were deployed to douse the flames.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited the SMS Hospital in Jaipur where the injured have been admitted and spoke with doctors. Sharma directed officials to ensure proper treatment for those affected in the fire mishap.
Later, Chief Minister Sharma along with other officials visited the site of the accident to take stock of the situation.
“It was very difficult to control the fire. Fire brigade teams were not able to reach the burning vehicles. There were three petrol pumps in the affected area but fortunately, they are safe,” said Manish Gupta, SHO of the Bhankrota police station.
The incident resulted in traffic movement on the national highway coming to a standstill, which resulted in a long queue of vehicles.
In a statement on X, the office Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
