Four killed, 10 injured after bus catches fire following tanker collision in Gujarat

At least four passengers were killed and 10 others sustained severe injuries after a private luxury bus collided with a tanker and caught fire on the Rajkot-Chotila highway in Gujarat early Wednesday morning. The incident took place near Sangani village on the Chotila-Rajkot National Highway in Surendranagar district. According to police officials, the bus was travelling towards Rajkot from Ahmedabad with around 40 passengers on board when it rammed into a tanker moving ahead of it, triggering a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles within moments.

Deputy Superintendent of Police SS Bhadoriya said the accident occurred at around 1:30 am. Preliminary information indicated that the tanker reportedly lost control after a tyre burst, following which the bus crashed into it from behind. Police officials stated that the impact of the collision caused an immediate fire, leading to panic among passengers inside the bus. Several passengers were rescued from the burning vehicle during the emergency response operation.

Officials confirmed that four passengers died after being trapped in the fire, while at least 10 others suffered serious burn injuries. The injured were rushed to Rajkot Civil Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for treatment. Authorities stated that the condition of several injured passengers remains critical. The bodies of the deceased were shifted to Chotila Referral Hospital for postmortem examination.

Firefighters and police teams reached the accident site shortly after receiving information and brought the blaze under control after a rescue operation. Investigators are examining the circumstances leading to the collision and the subsequent fire. Authorities have also begun verifying details regarding the material being transported in the tanker at the time of the accident.