DHANERA, GUJARAT — A horrific late-night journey turned into a scene of terror on Friday, March 13, 2026, when a private sleeper bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Ahmedabad was consumed by a massive fire near the Rajasthan-Gujarat border. The incident, which occurred approximately 20 kilometres from Dhanera in the Banaskantha district, resulted in the tragic death of one passenger and left several others battling severe burn injuries.
The fire reportedly broke out around 3:30 AM while most of the sixteen passengers on board were in deep sleep. According to preliminary reports from the Gujarat Police and eyewitnesses, thick smoke began filling the cabin before the vehicle was rapidly engulfed in flames. Panic ensued as passengers woke to the inferno, with many forced to shatter windows and leap from the moving vehicle to escape the blaze. Local villagers from the Nenava region were the first to reach the site, launching a desperate rescue operation before emergency services arrived.
One victim, a man in his mid-thirties, sustained critical third-degree burns and was rushed to a nearby hospital in Dhanera before being transferred to a more advanced facility in Palanpur. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. At least six other passengers remain hospitalized, with some reported to be in critical condition.
The bus, operated by Swagat Travels, had reportedly only been in service for three days prior to the accident. Nirmal Raiyani, the operator of the travel agency, confirmed that the fire was so intense that all passenger luggage, mobile phones, and essential identification documents were reduced to ash. This has created significant challenges for authorities attempting to notify the families of the victims. Preliminary technical assessments suggest that a short circuit in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have triggered the disaster, although a full forensic investigation is currently underway.
This tragedy follows a similarly devastating bus fire in the region in October 2025, raising renewed concerns regarding the safety standards and maintenance protocols of private sleeper buses operating on long-distance routes. Local administration officials have vowed to conduct a thorough audit of the transport company’s safety certifications as the investigation into the exact cause of the short circuit continues.
