Toll in Jaisalmer bus fire rises to 21: Officials
Barmer/Jaisalmer, Oct. 16 -- A day after a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur went up in flames, the toll reached 21 on Wednesday as a 10-year-old boy undergoing treatment at Mahatma Gandhi hospital in Jodhpur succumbed to injuries, officials aware of the details said, adding that so far only two bodies have been identified and handed over to the families after autopsy.
"The bodies of 79-year-old Hussain Khan from Jaisalmer, and 10-year-old boy, Yunus, were handed over to the families after identification. The remaining 19 bodies were charred beyond recognition and will be identified through DNA testing. The identification process is likely to be completed within 24 hours," said Mahatma Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Dr Fateh Singh Bhati. Authorities have started collecting DNA samples from victims' relatives at hospitals in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
"Some more human body parts have been recovered from the charred bus. These samples will be sent to the forensic lab in Jodhpur for DNA testing and analysis," said SP Abhishek Shivhare. Meanwhile, chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered a comprehensive inspection of all buses across Rajasthan to ensure strict adherence to safety norms under the Bus Board regulations.
"Passenger safety is non-negotiable. Any negligence in transport regulation will invite strict action, and accountability will be fixed at every level," he said.
Speaking about the incident, former Rajasthan minister Saleh Mohammad said, "The hospital in Jaisalmer has all the necessary facilities for a burn unit, but it was never activated. This is sheer negligence on the part of the local administration. Had the burn unit been functional, the severely burnt victims would not have needed to be transported nearly 300 kilometers to Jodhpur for treatment".
BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bharadwaj, however, accused the Congress of "politicising even the most tragic incidents". He asserted that the government has acted with sensitivity in every accident, adding that chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharmapersonally visited the hospital and the site of the incident to review and oversee the relief efforts....
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