7 dead, over 35 injured in fire after gas tanker collides with other vehicles on Jaipur highway
Jaipur (PTI): A deadly collision involving a gas tanker and multiple vehicles turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway here into an inferno on Friday morning, killing seven people, injuring more than 35 and engulfing over 30 vehicles in flames as thick black smoke filled the sky.
Eyewitnesses reported spotting the flames from nearly a kilometre away as ambulances and fire brigade vehicles rushed towards the crash zone. A school van driver on his way to pick up students recounted with horror the sight of a man engulfed in flames.
Rajasthan health department officials told PTI that seven people died in the crash while more than 35 were injured.
Police said there are chances that some people could not get out of their vehicles and got burnt inside. The situation will become clear once all the vehicles are thoroughly checked, they said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar rushed to the SMS Hospital, where the injured were admitted. Sharma spoke to administration officials and doctors and issued directions to ensure proper treatment was facilitated. He also visited the accident site and spoke to police officials.
In a post in Hindi on X, the chief minister said, "Deeply saddened to hear the news of casualties in the gas tanker fire incident on the Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway. As soon as the information about the incident came, I went to the SMS Hospital and directed the doctors there to provide immediate necessary medical facilities and take proper care of the injured."
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph and other officials of the department were at the spot on the highway.
Khimsar told reporters that nearly half of the injured brought to the hospital were in very critical condition.
"All doctors, resident doctors and nursing staff were called in to manage the situation. Another ward has been opened so that patients can be accommodated. Some people got primary treatment in nearby hospitals," he said.
The health minister said a 'green corridor' has been set up from the accident site to the SMS hospital.
An official said a sleeper bus headed for Jaipur from Rajsamand was behind the gas tanker when the accident occurred. Efforts were underway to find the details about the passengers on board.
The burnt vehicles are being removed from the highway so that traffic movement can be resumed.
CM Sharma, Governor Haribhau Bagade, and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed their condolences for the loss of lives in the crash.
The station house officer of Bhankrota Manish Gupta said it was difficult to bring the fire under control initially.
"Fire brigade teams initially were unable to reach the vehicles that were burning. There are three petrol pumps in the area but fortunately, they are safe," he added.
More than 25 ambulances were used to shift the victims to the hospital.
A nearly 300-metre busy stretch of the highway was affected by the accident, leading to a long queue of vehicles.
Police officials said the fire engulfed some establishments along the highway but details of the actual losses are not yet clear.
The school van driver told PTI that the flames were visible from a kilometre away and there was panic and chaos on the highway.
"As I got closer to the spot, I saw people running in haste and shouting for help. I saw a man engulfed in flames. It was a frightening scene. Fire brigades and ambulances were there but it was difficult for them to reach the spot initially," he said.
A team from the district administration is present at the hospital to help the family members of the victims.
The Jaipur Police has issued the helpline numbers 9166347551, 8764688431 and 7300363636 for people to get in touch for inquiries or relevant information.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
