11 killed in fire after LPG tanker crashes on Jaipur-Ajmer highway
   Date :21-Dec-2024
 
11
 
JAIPUR
 
 
AN LPG tanker collided with a truck on Friday, sparking a massive fireball that turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway into an inferno in which 11 people were killed and 37 vehicles engulfed in flames. The State Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said that nearly half of the injured were “very critical.” “A total of 11 people have died. Five were brought dead to SMS hospital. Five succumbed during treatment. One death was reported from Jaipuria hospital,” Dr Deepak Maheshwari, Principal, SMS Medical College, said. Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, who was at the crash site, said an outlet nozzle of the LPG tanker was damaged in the collision, leading to a gas leak that caused the blaze.
 
The crash occurred around 5.30 am, when it was still dark, in front of a school, according to authorities. ac(Contd from page 1) “Vehicles behind the tanker were engulfed in flames. Other vehicles coming from the opposite directions also caught fire and the vehicles collided,” Joseph said. The gas leak spread the fire in a flash, leaving no scope for those in nearby vehicles to come out. People were seen rushing and taking off clothes engulfed in flames. The injured were rushed to the SMS hospital in Jaipur in more than 25 ambulances. Forty-three people were brought to the hospital, seven of whom are on ventilator support, Dr Maheshwawri said. In a post on X, Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Modi also spoke to CM Sharma to enquire about the incident and assured him of all possible support. Former Haryana CM... Tributes for Chautala poured in from across the political spectrum, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing anguish at his passing and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal describing it as a “huge personal loss”. “The news of the demise of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala is sad. In his decades-long public life, he played an important role in Haryana politics. I offer my condolences to his family and supporters,” the official X handle of the President’s Office quoted President Droupadi Murmu as saying. Modi said on
 
X, “He (Chautala) was active in the State politics for many years and strove constantly to advance the work of Devi Lal.” Zakir Hussain laid... We love you Zakir Bhai. Have a lovely journey. Please give my pranam to all the masters.” Consul General of India in San Francisco Dr K Srikar Reddy also paid tributes to Hussain. “The mortal remains of legendary Tabla maestro and Padma Vibhushan awardee Ustad Zakir Hussain were laid to rest this afternoon at Fernwood Cemetery, Mill Valley, near San Francisco,” Indian Consulate in San Francisco said in a post on X. “On behalf of the Government and people of India, Consul General Dr K Srikar Reddy paid tribute by draping the mortal remains of the
 
Ustad Zakir Hussain with the Indian national flag, offered condolences to his wife Antonia Minnecola and his family members,” the post read. They also “read out the condolence message (tweet) of Hon’ble Prime Minister. Around 300 persons, including his family, friends, musicians (Sivamani and others), music lovers, and diaspora members, paid their last respects,” the post read. Hussain, the son of the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha, revolutionised the instrument, taking it beyond the limits of classical music to other forms, including jazz and Western classical. The celebrated musician, one of India’s most well-known, received four Grammy Awards in his career spanning six decades, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year. Hussain is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola and daughters
 
Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Hussain received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. In his career spanning six decades, the musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes, but it was his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram that brought together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown. Sivamani after Hussain’s death in a Facebook post said he would go to San Francisco to see him for the last time. “No Zakir Bhai, you cannot leave us like this. This is just unbelievable... I’m on the way to San Francisco. I want to see you..One last time..
 
I want to hold your hands.... My brother, my Guru..I’m devastated.. Life will never be the same again,” Sivamani had said. Messages of condolence poured in on social media as the news of Hussain’s demise spread. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a true genius who revolutionised the world of Indian classical music. Grammy winner musician Ricky Kej remembered Hussain for his “immense humility, approachable nature”. “One of the greatest musicians and personalities India has ever produced. Along with being the best himself, Zakirji was known for... Being responsible for the careers of numerous musicians, who are now forces to reckon with themselves. He was a treasure trove of skill and knowledge and always shared and encouraged the entire music community through collaborations and his actions. His legacy will live on forever, and his influence will be felt for generations. He left us too soon,” Kej had written on X after his demise.