Twenty persons were burnt alive, and 16 others sustained burn injuries when an air-conditioned sleeper bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire near Thaiyat village on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) afternoon. Several of the injured, including women and children, are reported to be in critical condition.
Those injured were taken to the Jawahar Government Hospital in Jaisalmer and later referred to Jodhpur. Most of them are said to have sustained burns of up to 70%. The flames reportedly erupted from the rear section of the bus as it was crossing the war museum, about 20 km from Jaisalmer.
There were 57 passengers on board the overloaded private bus. The bodies of the deceased remained inside the vehicle till late evening, as rescue efforts were delayed due to intense heat. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Nineteen passengers died on the spot, while one succumbed to burn injuries on way to Jodhpur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia assistance of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 each to the injured.
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. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
