1 dead, 8 hurt as sleeper bus catches fire near Raj–Guj border

Jaisalmer: One passenger was killed and eight others suffered serious burn injuries after a private sleeper bus travelling from Nachna in Jaisalmer district to Ahmedabad caught fire early Friday morning near Nenawa village in Dhanera tehsil of Gujarat, close to the Rajasthan–Gujarat border.The incident occurred around 3.30am while most passengers were asleep. According to police, the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in the bus's air conditioner. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the vehicle and triggering panic among passengers. Many passengers managed to escape by jumping out through windows and the emergency exit, but their belongings, mobile phones and documents were completely destroyed in the blaze. One critically burnt passenger, Ambalal (40), a resident of Khinvsar in Jaisalmer district, died during treatment at a hospital in Palanpur. Family members said Ambalal, a tailor working in Ramgarh and suffering from diabetes, was travelling to Ahmedabad to obtain medicines. Among the injured were Bhavna Shah (Ahmedabad), Manisha Mali (Jaisalmer), Malam Singh (Jaisalmer), Ratan Bhai (Barmer), Sharif Khan (Jaisalmer), Aruna (Jaisalmer) and one unidentified passenger. Khan, who was travelling with his wife, said the bus left Jaisalmer around 10.30pm and flames were first noticed around 3am. He alleged that the driver jumped out and fled when the fire broke out. Swagat Travels operator Nirmal Raiyani said the Nachna–Ahmedabad service had started only three to four days ago. Dhanera police in Gujarat have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.