Rajasthan: Another sleeper bus catches fire after hitting high-tension line; woman injured
Jaipur, Nov 23
A sleeper bus headed to pick up a wedding procession caught fire on Saturday evening after coming in contact with a high-tension electricity line in the Rajakheda police station area of Dholpur district in Rajasthan.
A female shepherd passing by sustained serious burn injuries in the incident. Police station in-charge Gambhir Singh said the accident occurred at around 5.15 p.m. in Samona village when the bus brushed against a low-hanging high-tension wire, sending an electric surge through the vehicle and triggering a massive fire.
The injured woman, identified as Bhagwan Devi, wife of Than Singh and a resident of Samona, suffered severe burn injuries while herding livestock. After receiving primary treatment, she was referred to Agra for specialised care. Five to six goats also died due to the electric shock.
A fire brigade team from Rajakheda reached the spot at around 5.45 p.m. and brought the blaze under control within 30 minutes.
The incident took place about 150 metres before the Government Higher Secondary School in Samona. The bus was on its way to the village to pick up a wedding party before heading to Sikandarpur. According to police, the driver misjudged the height of the sagging electricity line, causing the bus to get electrified.
As flames engulfed the vehicle, panic spread among villagers, who rushed to remove children and livestock from the area fearing a possible explosion due to the diesel tank. The driver and conductor fled the scene shortly after the incident. Police have launched efforts to trace them. Fortunately, no passengers were onboard at the time.
Saturday's fire incident comes weeks after a similar episode in Rajasthan, when a private bus caught fire after hitting an overhead line. That case had prompted local authorities to review the condition of power lines in rural belts, especially those running close to narrow village roads.
Local residents in Samona have also demanded immediate inspection of low-hanging high-tension lines in the area to prevent further accidents.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Second such incident in weeks! When will our electricity departments learn? These sagging wires are death traps waiting to happen. The driver and conductor running away shows complete lack of responsibility.
Thank God there were no passengers on board! Could have been a major tragedy. The villagers showed great presence of mind in evacuating children and livestock quickly. Hope the injured woman gets proper treatment in Agra.
This is basic infrastructure maintenance! High-tension wires hanging low near village roads? What were the electricity department officials doing all this time? They should be held accountable too, not just the driver.
While I agree the infrastructure needs improvement, we also need better driver training. Misjudging wire height with a sleeper bus? That's basic driving awareness. Both systemic and individual failures here.
My heart goes out to Bhagwan Devi and her family. Not only is she injured, but they've lost their goats too - that's their livelihood! 😔 The government should provide proper compensation and medical care.
Good that fire brigade responded quickly and controlled the blaze. But preventive measures are what we need. Regular inspection of power lines in rural areas should be mandatory, not something that happens only after accidents.