'He's Sitting There, Hoping They'll Return': Man Loses 3 Grandchildren In Bus Fire

When a bus caught fire in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer on Tuesday, 21 people died and at least 15 were injured. But behind these numbers lie deeply personal tragedies, including a man who has lost three granddchildren while his son and daughter-in-law are critical, and a family that has lost its only breadwinner. 

The bus, which left from Jaisalmer with 57 passengers around 3.30 pm on Tuesday and was bound for Jodhpur, caught fire on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway just half an hour later. The only door of the bus was jammed and many passengers could not escape.

At a home in Bambaron Ki Dhani village, where the courtyard used to be filled with the laughter of young children, all that's left is gloom. Tears in his eyes, Sohrab Khan (73) sits on a chair in the house, staring out into nothingness. 

Khan's son, Pir Mohammed, had taken his wife, Imamat, and eight-year-old son Yunus to a hospital in Jaisalmer, 30 km away, for a medical check-up. Accompanying them were Yunus' siblings, Hasina (10) and Irfan (5), and Imamat's sister. The family was travelling in the ill-fated bus, which was just 10 km away from the village when it caught fire. 

Khan said he got a call from Mohammad telling him the bus had caught fire and while he, Imamat, Yunus and Imamat's sister managed to get out, Hasina and Irfan were still inside. Mohammad told him Yunus had suffered burns, and he and Imamat were also badly injured and were being taken to Jodhpur Hospital. Khan didn't hear from Mohammad after that. 

The family later found out that Hasina and Irfan were killed on the spot, while Yunus died during treatment. Mohammad and Imamat are critical, and her sister has suffered 30% burns. 

"Khan has still not been told about Yunus' death, and he has been sitting in the chair, hoping that everyone, including his grandchildren, will return," said a relative.

Joy To Tragedy

In the village of Jawanth Jooni, 50 km from Jaisalmer, a family has lost its main breadwinner. Hussain (70), who used to work as a labourer, had gone to Jaisalmer to congratulate a relative on the birth of a baby and was returning home when the tragedy occurred. 

"We were told he had suffered burn injuries and was being taken to a hospital, but he was stable. Then we got a call around 10.30 pm that he had died," said Sher Khan, one of Hussain's relatives. 

The family's assets include just a few goats and a hut, and Hussain's wife, who is mentally challenged, has been left widowed. Their only son, 19, is also mentally challenged and cannot support himself and his mother. 

Yare Khan, Hussain's friend, said he was travelling in another vehicle behind the bus. 

"The fire spread extremely fast. People tried breaking windows to escape, and even though emergency services personnel arrived nearly an hour later, Army personnel on the scene provided immediate help. Had the Army not responded so quickly, even more people might have died," Khan said.