The death toll in the Jaisalmer bus fire has risen to 26 after a 40‑year‑old passenger died in hospital.
According to Dr Fateh Singh Bhati, superintendent of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, the latest victim was Om Prakash from Lathi village. “He was on a ventilator and passed away while being treated,” Bhati told reporters. He added that six other passengers are still in hospitals—one still on a ventilator and five in the general ward.
Among the deceased was a woman named Imamat, who had lost all three of her children the day before the accident. Her husband, seriously wounded, was transferred to a hospital in Ahmedabad for further treatment.
At the scene, 20 passengers died instantly. Hospitals later reported six more deaths, bringing the total to 26. Police say authorities are actively investigating what caused the blaze.
Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare confirmed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on the day the bus caught fire. The team has arrested the bus owner, Turab Ali, and the driver, Shaukat, after a complaint was filed by Chandan Singh, the brother of late journalist Rajendra Singh Chauhan who had also been on the bus.
Preliminary probes point to faulty wiring as a likely trigger. Investigators note that the bus’s body was built by Jainam Coach Crafts Workshop in Mogra, a firm tied to the same company that owned the vehicle. The workshop did not follow the required AIS 119 safety standards, skipping approvals for the chassis, wiring and other components.
Further findings show that the bus was originally a non‑AC model but was illegally fitted with air‑conditioning and extra seats. The emergency exit was also blocked and undersized, hampering evacuation.
Hospital officials continue to monitor the six patients still under treatment, while police and investigators press on with the probe into the fire’s cause.
Source: ianslive
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