Jaipur oil tanker explosion: The tragic fire on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway on Friday claimed the lives of 14 people and caused over 40 vehicles to catch fire. Amid the chaos, a heartbreaking story emerged – a car mechanic was engulfed in flames and reportedly walked 600 meters in a desperate bid to save his life.
Radheshyam Chaudhary, a 32-year-old auto mechanic employed by National Bearings Company Limited, left home on his motorcycle early on Friday morning. Hours later, harrowing images emerged of a man engulfed in flames and desperately struggling to walk while calling for help.
Radheshyam’s brother Akheram told TOI that he received a call from a stranger at 5.50 am. The caller said Radheshyam was in trouble near the Heerapura bus terminus. Ahram rushed there and was horrified by what he saw.
“My brother was lying on the road. People told me he was nearly 600 meters away from the blast site and he was screaming for help as he struggled on the road,” Times of India quoted Akram as saying, adding that he did not offer help. Instead, his brother, a bystander, was recording and filming the incident.
Upon arrival, Akhram realized the ambulance might cause delays, so he drove his brother Radheshyam to the hospital.
According to him, his brother remained conscious on the way to the hospital and explained what happened. He even gave Ahlam’s phone number to a stranger who called him to inform him. Radheshyam described the moment of tragedy as the ground shook and flames engulfed everything nearby, including Radheshyam.
The mechanic was rushed to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, where his brother still held out hope that he would survive.
“We thought he would survive. But with 85 percent burns, his chances were slim — and then they were gone,” his brother said. Radheshayam Chaudhary became one of the victims in the horrific incident on the highway near Bankrota.