Tragedy in India: 20 burnt alive as bus catches fire in Rajasthan

On October 14, twenty people were burnt alive after a private bus in the western Indian state of Rajasthan caught fire, the local police said.

The bus was travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur with 57 passengers on board when smoke emerged from the rear of the vehicle. The driver stopped the bus along the side of the road but flames engulfed the vehicle within moments, Indian broadcaster NDTV reports.

The police believe that a short circuit caused the fire, the report added.

Fifteen passengers - including four women and two children- sustained serious burn injuries, with some suffering up to 70 per cent burns, it said.

State’s Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said instructions have been given to the "concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to provide all possible assistance to those affected."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in a post on X.

"Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time," Modi wrote..

By Khagan Isayev