Jaisalmer bus fire: CIRT to do technical audit; high-level committee finds serious flaws

Jaipur: A technical investigation will be conducted by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, into the Jaipur fire incident, which claimed 22 lives and left many injured, said officials here on Friday.

The CIRT officials will visit the site to identify the cause of the fire, determine accountability, assess technical lapses, and provide recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.

Their report will be submitted to the state government.

A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Jaipur, led by Joint Transport Commissioner O.P. Bunkar, has inspected the site of the recent bus fire accident in Jaisalmer. The team examined the wreckage and assessed technical aspects to determine the cause of the incident, confirmed officials on Friday.

To prevent similar tragedies, the Transport Department has decided to rigorously inspect bus body manufacturing companies.

A special monitoring committee has been formed to audit workshops and factories involved in bus body construction.

Joint Commissioner Bunkar emphasised that ‘substandard manufacturing practices’ could be a major contributing factor to the accident, stating, “Serious technical defects have been found, and we are taking steps to ensure accountability and stricter compliance.”

During the inspection, several serious flaws were identified in the ill-fated bus, said officials. The emergency exit was undersized and obstructed by two fitted seats, making it inaccessible during an emergency. The bus’s length had been extended beyond regulatory limits, with an excess number of sleeper seats installed. The curtains used were highly flammable, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

These violations significantly hindered rescue efforts and are being documented in the official report.

Bunkar also shared progress on ongoing inspections across Rajasthan. He said that around 1,400 sleeper buses have been inspected so far. A total of 162 buses have been seized for violations. Approximately 3,200 AC buses are registered across the state. In Jaisalmer alone, five private AC buses were seized for non-compliance with traffic and safety norms, he added.

The SIT also inspected the premises of KK Travels, the company whose bus was involved in the fire. Out of 66 buses at the yard, 35 have been inspected, with 10 found to have serious defects in body construction. These buses were reportedly manufactured under the label “Voluntary” and are currently under investigation.

The SIT, constituted by the Transport and Road Safety Department Headquarters, includes O.P. Bunkar, Additional Transport Commissioner (Administration) and Joint Secretary to the Government, Dharmendra Kumar, Regional Transport Officer-II, Ravi Soni, Executive Director (Mechanical), Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, Hanuman Singh, Joint General Manager, Central Workshop, Jodhpur and Navneet Batad, Motor Vehicle Inspector.

The team completed its site inspection on Thursday and returned to Jaipur on Friday morning. Their findings will be compiled into a comprehensive report for submission to the Rajasthan government.

IANS