Massive LPG Cylinder Truck Explosion on Jaipur-Ajmer Highway Kills One, Triggers Chaos

Jaipur — A catastrophic collision between a truck carrying LPG cylinders and a chemical tanker on the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway on Tuesday night triggered a massive fire and a series of explosions, leaving one person dead and causing widespread chaos.

The accident occurred near Mokhampura in the Dudu area of Jaipur, when the tanker reportedly lost control after spotting an RTO vehicle and swerved into the parked gas-laden truck. The resulting fire engulfed the tanker’s cabin, igniting over 100 LPG cylinders, some of which were hurled up to 500 meters away. The deafening explosions were reportedly heard 10 kilometres away and continued intermittently for nearly two hours.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma called the incident “extremely tragic” and assured full assistance to those affected. He said the fire brigade and disaster management teams were engaged in relief and rescue operations, and the district administration was instructed to provide medical care and support to the injured.

The truck, parked near the Sawarda culvert, was carrying approximately 330 LPG cylinders. The fire spread to five nearby vehicles, intensifying the destruction. Twelve fire engines took over three hours to bring the blaze under control.

Eyewitnesses reported that the chemical tanker driver attempted to avoid the RTO vehicle but collided with the truck near a roadside dhaba, sparking the massive fire. The surviving truck driver, Shahrukh, said, “My truck was completely destroyed in the fire. The tanker driver swerved to avoid the RTO vehicle, hitting my truck in the process.”

Traffic on the highway was halted for over six hours, with vehicles rerouted through Rupangarh and the 200-foot bypass to Tonk Road. The road reopened around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The body of the person killed in the accident was sent to SMS Hospital, where authorities are awaiting FSL-DNA tests to confirm the identity, said Dr. Mrinal Joshi, Superintendent of SMS Hospital.

With inputs from IANS