A tragic incident occurred in Rajasthan as a sleeper bus carrying over 70 migrant labourers caught fire after making contact with a high-tension power line. The authorities believe that the catastrophe could have been prevented if the driver had not attempted to avoid a Rs 100 toll fee.
In an attempt to save the toll charge, the driver diverted the bus from the highway onto a narrow village road, leading the overloaded vehicle directly into low-hanging live wires. This decision resulted in the loss of three lives and severe injuries to six others.
The journey started from Puranpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district, heading towards a brick kiln near Todi village in Manoharpur, approximately 70 km from Jaipur. Tragically, the bus was just 500 meters away from its destination when the accident occurred.
Apart from carrying passengers, the bus was overloaded with 15 LPG cylinders, six motorcycles, goats, and poultry that the labourers were transporting to the kiln site. Survivors mentioned that despite warnings, the driver chose to take the dirt road to bypass the toll plaza, a decision that proved fatal.
Eyewitnesses recounted their attempts to alert the driver about the low-hanging wires, but their pleas were ignored. The accident happened around 8 am when a motorcycle tied to the bus roof made contact with the high-voltage line, leading to a chain reaction of explosions from the LPG cylinders.
Despite some passengers managing to escape, many were trapped inside the burning bus as onlookers helplessly listened to their cries for help. Six injured individuals were promptly taken to Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital for treatment, where doctors confirmed that they were in stable condition.
Investigations revealed several safety breaches, including illegal modifications to the bus structure and the use of prohibited carriers for motorcycles and LPG cylinders. Despite these violations, the bus traveled without inspection from Uttar Pradesh to Jaipur.
Local residents revealed that the driver chose a rough path through fields to avoid the toll booth on the main road, resulting in the tragic loss of lives. The driver, conductor, and the brick kiln owner have been charged in the case, with the driver and conductor currently evading authorities.
This incident mirrors a previous bus fire in Rajasthan just days earlier, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement of transport safety regulations. Despite warnings and past tragedies, the quest to save a small sum cost three lives in this devastating incident near Jaipur.