Jaipur, Oct 14 (NationPress) DNA sampling commenced on Wednesday as efforts continue to identify the victims of the tragic bus fire that resulted in at least 20 fatalities near Thaiyat village on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway in Rajasthan. Authorities are currently collecting DNA samples from two relatives of each missing passenger at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur and Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer.

On late Tuesday night, 19 severely charred bodies were transported from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, among which was a bundle of bones believed to be human remains. One individual, who was critically injured, succumbed to their injuries while being transferred to Jodhpur, bringing the confirmed death toll to 20.

The fire erupted around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in a moving AC sleeper bus that was carrying 57 passengers.

Eyewitnesses reported witnessing smoke rising from the back of the bus before it was engulfed in flames. The ferocity of the fire trapped numerous passengers inside. Some bodies were found wedged against the bus frame, while others were completely reduced to ashes.

Among the deceased are local journalist Rajendra Chauhan and five members of a single family.

At least 15 passengers sustained severe injuries, with burns affecting up to 70 percent of their bodies. Among those injured was a couple returning to Jodhpur after a pre-wedding photoshoot. Initially, the injured were taken to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer before being referred to Jodhpur for advanced treatment. A green corridor was established along National Highway 125 to expedite the transfer of patients. At Mathura Das Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur, the trauma center was cleared, and emergency measures were implemented to accommodate the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound sorrow over the incident and pledged financial assistance for the victims' families. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives and property in the Jaisalmer accident,” he posted on X. The Prime Minister’s Relief Fund will allocate Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, who visited the site, suggested that a blast near the rear of the bus might have been caused by the AC compressor. “We suspect the AC compressor exploded, igniting a fire that spread quickly due to the presence of diesel and gas. There was only one exit door, which left the passengers trapped inside. The police recovered some bodies, but several individuals were completely incinerated.”

'It’s impossible to ascertain what happened to them,” stated Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully, who criticized the government for allegedly minimizing the actual death toll. “I attempted to contact the Jaisalmer Collector, but there was no response. From this bus tragedy to the SMS Hospital incident, ongoing negligence is perpetually overlooked. Rather than addressing accountability, the government obscures the numbers and attempts to cover its failures,” he claimed.

A forensic team has been dispatched from Jodhpur to support identification efforts, which are anticipated to take several days due to the severity of the damage. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Health Minister Gajendra Singh are expected to visit Jaisalmer to assess the situation and meet with the affected families.