Surendranagar: At least four passengers were burnt alive, and around 10 others were injured after a private bus travelling from Ahmedabad to Rajkot collided with a bitumen tanker and caught fire on the Rajkot-Chotila highway near Sangani village in Gujarat on Thursday. 

The accident took place between 1.30 a.m. and 2 a.m. near Chotila in Surendranagar district, according to officials.

Preliminary findings suggest that the tyre of the asphalt-laden tanker burst while it was moving on the highway, causing the vehicle to lose control.

Moments later, the private luxury bus coming from behind rammed into the tanker with heavy impact.

Officials said the collision triggered a short circuit in the bus, which quickly burst into flames. Many passengers were asleep and had little time to escape before the fire spread through the vehicle.

Officials asserted that the bus was carrying around 40 passengers when the accident occurred. “Several passengers were rescued after the collision. Four passengers were burnt alive in the incident,” they said.

They further added that the tanker was carrying asphalt and that the fire spread rapidly after the crash.

“The injured persons were referred to Rajkot Civil Hospital, while the bodies were shifted to Chotila Referral Hospital for post-mortem,” they noted.

Authorities said several passengers were rescued from the burning bus.

Eyewitnesses and local residents helped break the windows to pull passengers out before fire brigade teams arrived at the scene.

Ajay Mewada, an eyewitness, said several people used rods and pipes to smash the bus windows and rescue trapped passengers.

He said the leaking bitumen intensified the fire, making it difficult to control the blaze.

Among the injured were Vidhi Patodiya, 18, from Junagadh district, Narendra Rathod, 50, from Limbdi, and Nagaraj Rana, 30, from Gir Somnath district.

Police said several injured passengers sustained burn injuries, while others suffered fractures after jumping from the bus to escape the flames.

The accident caused traffic congestion on the highway for several hours. Police have registered a case, and further investigation into the incident is underway.