LPG Cylinders Explode After Truck Collision on Jaipur-Ajmer Highway

A catastrophic collision on the Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway late Tuesday night has unleashed a nightmarish scene of flames and thunderous blasts, as a tanker laden with hazardous chemicals rear-ended a truck transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders near Sawarda Puliya in the Mauzamabad tehsil. The impact, occurring around 11:00 PM in the Dudu vicinity, ignited a chain reaction of explosions that hurled cylinders up to 50 meters from the site, transforming a routine stretch of NH-48 into a blazing inferno visible—and audible—from several kilometers away.

Inspector General of Police (IG) Jaipur, Rahul Prakash, confirmed that the crash involved two to three individuals, including the tanker's driver, who sustained injuries in the initial jolt. Eyewitnesses recounted a harrowing prelude: the LPG truck, operated by a local logistics firm, had pulled over outside a modest roadside dhaba for the driver's evening meal. "The tanker came hurtling from behind at high speed, smashing into the stationary vehicle with a deafening crunch," recounted Vinod Sharma, a trucker idling nearby who captured shaky footage now circulating widely on social media. The video depicts a towering fireball erupting seconds later, followed by staccato bursts as pressurized cylinders succumbed to the heat, scattering debris across the median and scorching adjacent scrubland.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Jaipur-I, Ravi Shekhawat, reported that the injured tanker driver received immediate stabilization at a primary health center in Dudu before potential transfer to the larger SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where emergency protocols—including burn units and trauma bays—stand fully mobilized. "No patients have arrived yet, but all resources are primed for influx," Shekhawat stated, underscoring the administration's proactive stance amid the fog of uncertainty.

Also Read: SUV Hits Auto, Toddler Among Three Killed

In a swift display of executive response, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma dispatched Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa and local MLA Kailash Verma to the epicenter, where they coordinated with fire tenders from Jaipur Rural and Dudu stations. Bairwa, addressing reporters amid the acrid smoke, affirmed that firefighting efforts had contained the blaze by 1:00 AM, though residual flare-ups from ruptured cylinders demanded vigilant monitoring. "The situation is now stable, with no confirmed fatalities at this hour," he noted gravely. However, the drivers and cleaners of both vehicles remain unaccounted for, prompting an urgent multi-agency search involving police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and highway patrols. "We are scouring the vicinity and nearby villages; every lead is being pursued," Bairwa added, as senior district officials, including Jaipur Collector Anand Kumar, established a command post to oversee logistics.

The highway, a vital artery ferrying over 10,000 vehicles daily between Rajasthan's pink city and its western hinterlands, was promptly shuttered in both directions, rerouting traffic through alternate routes like the Ring Road and Jobner bypass. Commuters reported snarls stretching up to 15 kilometers, with Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) buses and private operators issuing advisories for delays into Wednesday morning. Environmental teams from the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) were also mobilized to assess potential air and soil contamination from the chemical spill, estimated at several hundred liters, which could leach into nearby seasonal drains feeding the Luni River basin.

This incident evokes chilling echoes of December 2024's Bhankrota tragedy on the same corridor, where a chemical-laden truck plowed into an LPG tanker, unleashing a 40-minute conflagration that claimed 19 lives—including motorists and pedestrians—and injured over 50, many with burns exceeding 50% body surface area. That disaster prompted a state audit of hazardous cargo protocols, revealing lapses in escort vehicles and speed governors for such consignments. "We've fortified regulations since then—mandatory GPS tracking and night-hour restrictions—but enforcement gaps persist," observed transport safety expert Dr. Meera Singh of IIT Delhi, who flagged the highway's notorious blind curves and overburdened traffic as perennial risks. Data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) indicates NH-48 has witnessed 1,247 accidents in the past five years, with 312 fatalities, underscoring the urgent need for elevated barriers and AI-driven surveillance.

As dawn breaks over the scarred asphalt, investigations by the Jaipur Rural Police and a technical probe under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules loom, probing brake failures, overloading, and driver fatigue—factors implicated in 70% of Rajasthan's heavy-vehicle mishaps. For now, the focus remains on the missing and the mending, a stark reminder of the razor-thin margin between transit and tragedy on India's pulse-quickening roadways. Authorities urge public vigilance, while families await word in the quiet hours before the sun climbs high.

Also Read: Indian Student Surrenders to Ukraine Forces: Russia’s Prison-to-Frontline Trap Exposed