A tragic accident on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway near Chotila claimed four lives and left ten others injured after a private bus caught fire following a collision with a bitumen-laden tanker. The incident occurred between 1am and 1.30am on Wednesday near Sangani village in Chotila taluka, Surendranagar district. Police reported that the bodies of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition.
Details of the Collision
The bus, operated by Madhuram Travels, rammed into the rear of a tanker carrying bitumen that had stopped on the highway due to a burst tyre. The bus had left Ahmedabad around 10pm and was heading to Akolwadi in Talala taluka with 27 people on board, including the driver and helper. Upon impact with the tanker's rear nozzle, a short circuit triggered a massive fire inside the bus. Flames spread rapidly as leaking bitumen also caught fire on the road.
Rescue Efforts
Passengers smashed windows and jumped out of the burning bus to save themselves. Local residents, hotel workers, and passersby rushed to help rescue those trapped before emergency services arrived. Police, fire brigade teams, and ambulances reached the scene shortly afterward. The injured were initially taken to Chotila Government Hospital and later transferred to hospitals in Rajkot and Ahmedabad for advanced treatment.
Highway Disruption
Authorities reported that the highway was blocked for one and a half hours, with traffic restored through police-arranged diversions. The charred bodies of four victims were recovered from the bus around 5am with the help of fire brigade personnel and sent for postmortem examinations.
Identification of Victims
Police stated that the identities of the deceased have not been officially confirmed yet. However, the bus driver Siddharth Pari, helper Kishan Parmar, and passengers Jafar Khichi and his wife Nashim Khichi are missing. DNA samples have been collected for identification, with test reports expected by Friday evening. According to sources, Nashim's brother had died a few days ago, and the couple were traveling to Junagadh for funeral rites.
Injured Persons
The injured individuals are residents of Ahmedabad, Junagadh, and Gir Somnath districts. Senior officials, including Deputy Collector Haresh Makwana and Deputy Superintendent of Police Subodh Bhadoriya, visited the accident site.
Investigation
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the highway to determine the exact cause of the accident and assess if there was negligence by the tanker driver or bus driver. Among the injured was Narendra Rathod, a BSF officer traveling from Ahmedabad to Talala while on leave. Despite his injuries, he helped rescue several passengers. His brother Kirit Rathod said, "My brother Narendra was asleep when the accident happened. He escaped by breaking a window and helped others get out before being taken to hospital."
Eyewitness Accounts
An eyewitness, Ajay Mevada, stated that the fire spread rapidly after the bus struck the bitumen-laden tanker. Another passerby, Nagraj Rala, suffered burns on his feet while helping passengers escape and was later taken to Rajkot Civil Hospital. Police have registered a complaint at Chotila police station, and further investigation is underway.
