Panic gripped passengers on a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur after it suddenly caught fire near Thaiyat village on Tuesday afternoon.

Twenty passengers were burnt alive, and 16 were critically injured in the incident.

According to officials, a total of 57 people were on board the bus when the fire broke out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over incident.

"Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured," PM Modi was quoted as saying in an X post by the PMO.

"An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," he said.

Eyewitnesses reported that smoke began rising from the rear of the vehicle before flames rapidly engulfed the entire bus. The blaze spread so quickly that several passengers were unable to escape in time.

Local villagers and passersby rushed to the scene to help, while the police and fire departments reached shortly after being alerted.

Rescue and relief operations began immediately, and the injured were transported to Jawahar Hospital in Jaisalmer in three ambulances.

Jaisalmer district collector Pratap Singh later issued helpline numbers for those seeking information about the victims: 9414801400, 8003101400, 02992-252201, and 02992-255055.

Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed grief over the tragedy and spoke with the District Collector and Superintendent of Police.

He directed them to ensure all possible assistance and the best medical treatment for the injured.

Former CM Ashok Gehlot reacted to the incident on X, and wrote, “A distressing report has been received that several people have been killed or injured due to a massive fire breaking out in a bus traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur. I pray to God that there should be minimal loss of life in this accident and that the injured people should recover their health soon.”

Shiv Sena MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati called the incident “extremely heart-wrenching” in a post on X and said he had instructed Jaisalmer district officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. “I pray to the Almighty God for the swift recovery of the injured,” he added.

Pokhran MLA Mahant Partap Puri announced that he had canceled all his programs for the day and would visit the accident site and Jawahar Hospital to meet the injured passengers and their families.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Rescue and relief efforts are continuing as the injured remain under treatment at Jawahar Hospital.