Following the catastrophic LPG tanker explosion in Bhankrota, Jaipur-Ajmer highway, the tragic death toll has tragically soared to 13, originally reported as 14. The incident, occurring on a fateful Friday morning, ensnared numerous vehicles into the blaze, tragically burning five individuals on the spot and leading to eight fatalities at the SMS and Jaipuria hospitals during treatment.
On Saturday, an FSL (Forensic Science Lab) examination revealed that the fragmentary remains packed in a sack were of a single individual, hence revising the death toll to 13. This transition was corroborated by Amit Kumar, DCP (West). He elaborated that due to the explosion, body parts were dispersed, initially leading to misidentification as two separate individuals.
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Demise of Retired IAS Karni Singh
An indefatigable team of about 25 forensic experts worked tirelessly to ascertain the identity of the remains. Dr. Ajay Sharma, director of FSL, stated that DNA samples from the remains were collected on Friday and compared with samples from relatives on Saturday. Amongst the deceased in SMS Hospital, Retired IAS Karni Singh Rathore's identity was confirmed through matching his DNA with his daughter's samples. His car fell prey to the LPG blast while he was returning to Jaipur from the Bhankrota agricultural farm in the morning.
Five Burned Alive
The Friday morning disaster led to five individuals perishing in the fire. Additionally, eight more succumbed to wounds while hospitalized at Sawai Man Singh Hospital, with one more casualty reported from Jaipuria Hospital. Of the 13 fatalities, 11 have been successfully identified.
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Identifying With Vehicle Registration Numbers
In addition to DNA correlation, investigators aimed at identifying victims through vehicle registration numbers, with most burnt vehicles at the site having been recognized, leaving only two or three unidentified. Police are also investigating mobile phone activity from the area at the time of the accident. Phones that went inactive post-blaze might belong to the victims. Cross-referencing this data with mobile tower records could further aid in identifying the remains.
