Jaisalmer Bus Fire: Toll Rises To 21; DNA Test Begins

Jodhpur/Jaisalmer: The toll in the Jaisalmer bus fire has increased to 21, officials said on Tuesday. The DNA test of the kin of the deceased has started at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur, they said.

Mahatma Gandhi Hospital Director Dr Fateh Singh Bhati said that the report of the DNA test would be made available after 24 hours. He also said that five of the injured are on a ventilator and their condition remains critical.

Officials said that while 10 bodies have been brought to the Mahatma Gandhi hospital, 10 bodies have been kept in a mortuary at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, and DNA sampling will also be done there.

However, before the DNA test started, the kin of the deceased were angry. They alleged that the district authorities and the Jodhpur police called them at 6 AM at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, but the doctors did not turn up for hours.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed grief over the accident and the loss of lives. Speaking to reporters in Udaipur, Shekhawat said, "This is an extremely painful and unfortunate incident that has occurred between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Around 20 people died after a bus caught fire, and several of them were injured. I offer my condolences to the families of the deceased and also pray to the Almighty that the injured soon recover."

He said an investigation into the matter is underway. "I would like to state that the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) announced an ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased and to the injured. Rajasthan Chief Minister (Bhajanlal Sharma) visited the accident spot."

Jodhpur District Collector Gaurav Agarwal reached the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and took stock of the situation. "Nine samples have come for DNA testing. One case is such that mother of a deceased stays in Falodi. She is an elderly woman and cannot come to Jodhpur. Her sample will be collected. A special team of doctors has been constituted to treat the injured," Agarwal said.

Meanwhile, 14 people injured in the bus accident are undergoing treatment at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur. In the last 24 hours, four patients have been put on ventilators, while five others are on high-flow oxygen.

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Jaisalmer Bus Fire: 20 Passengers Burnt Alive, 16 Critical; Bodies Shifted To Jodhpur For DNA Profiling