The eight people who tragically lost their lives in the fire that followed an accident at Bhankrota, on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway on Friday, were all under 40 years old—each in the prime of their lives, filled with plans for the future, building careers, or raising families. Currently, those on ventilator support at SMS Hospital are all under 30 years of age.
Mohammad Faizan, who was just days away from turning 21, had been eagerly anticipating his upcoming wedding. “He was my only son, always cheerful, and brought joy to everyone around him. The whole neighborhood is in mourning after his untimely death,” said Mohammad Salim, Faizan’s father, who owns a restaurant in Udaipur. Faizan had recently gotten engaged, and his wedding was scheduled for next October. He was traveling from Udaipur to Jaipur when he sustained severe burn injuries in Bhankrota.
Mahendra Chaudhary, 24, was excited to start his own business. “We are involved in farming, but Mahendra always preferred business over agriculture. He worked at a transport firm in Kota to learn the ropes before starting his own venture. He was the financial backbone of our family, being the eldest of four siblings,” said Madhoram Chaudhary, Mahendra’s uncle. Mahendra was traveling on a bus from Jaipur to Kishangarh when the accident occurred.
Vijeta Meena, 23, had dreams of becoming an educator. She is currently in critical condition on ventilator support in the ICU of SMS Hospital, having sustained 70% burn injuries. Vijeta had recently secured admission to a BEd course to pursue her teaching aspirations. She was returning from an exam in Udaipur when the fire broke out. “She had always dreamed of teaching. We are devastated by this tragedy,” said Ram Chandra Meena, a government school teacher from Vijeta’s hometown of Pratapgarh.
The deceased include Govind Narayan (32) from Kekri, Har Lal (34) from Rajpura, Mahendra (24) from Parbatsar, Radheshyam (32), Rajuram Baberwal (40) from Sikar, Shahbuddin (34) from Amethi, Shahid (34), and Faizan (20) from Udaipur.
Dr. RK Jain, Senior Professor of Burn and Plastic Surgery at SMS Hospital, said, “The majority of the victims, both those who survived and those who passed away, were very young. When they arrived at the hospital, the majority were in critical condition.”
