20 hours Ago By Mr. Nitesh Kumar
JAIPUR: Basram Meena 's six-hour search for his sister, Anita Meena , ended in heartbreak at the mortuary of SMS Hospital here. Anita, a police constable with the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), was on her way to Jaipur on a bus from Dudu to report for duty when she died in the LPG tanker fire on the Jaipur-Ajmer national highway. Basram's ordeal began with a call early Friday from Anita's husband, who said Anita wasn't answering her phone.
"I had already watched the news so I first rushed to the accident site hoping to find her there," Basram said. "I searched everywhere, but couldn't see her." When the search at the site proved futile, he drove to the burn ward of SMS Hospital, about 13 km from the accident site.
"I thought she might be admitted there," he said. "But after checking, I still couldn't find her." With no other options left, Basram decided to check the mortuary.
There, his worst fears were confirmed. "I recognised her by her toe ring. Her body was severely burned and unrecognisable.
I had a picture of her wearing the toe ring, and that's how I was able to identify her," he said quietly. Scenes of chaos and panic were common at SMS Hospital on Friday as frantic families searched for their loved ones. Many, like Basram, faced delays and miscommunication.
Relatives were barred from entering the burn ward due to infection risks, leaving them in the dark. "I came looking for my nephew who is in the burn ward," said Raju Lal. "They wouldn't let us in.
I called the helpline but they told me to ask the hospital staff. No one would give me any information." Yash Sharma, at the hospital to assist a friend, shared the story of his friend's mother, who was on the bus from Udaipur to Jaipur.
"My friend and I used to work together at a private bank in Jaipur before he was transferred to Gurugram. This morning he called me asking for help. He found out about the mishap when his mother called him, telling him about the burn injuries she had suffered," he said.
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