Fact Check: Separatists attack oil tanker using drone on Jaipur-Ajmer highway? No, here are the facts
A video has been circulating online, claiming it shows explosions due to a drone attack by separatists on a tanker on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway.
By - Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:The video shows explosions due to a drone attack by separatists on a tanker on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway.
Fact:The claim is false. The fire and explosions were caused by a tanker colliding with a truck laden with LPG cylinders on the highway.
Hyderabad: A video circulating on social media shows explosions and smoke in the night sky. Pakistani users have been claiming that it shows a drone attack on an oil tanker by Indian separatists on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway.
An X user account from Pakistan, which NewsMeter accessed through a VPN, shared the video with the caption, “Maujumabad Dudu on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, India. Freedom fighters wanting to separate from the Indian union have hit an oil tanker with an FPV drone, cutting all the traffic.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the explosions were caused by a tanker colliding with a truck laden with LPG cylinders on the highway in Rajasthan.
We ran a relevant keyword search and found the video published by the news agency PTI on October 8, stating that a gas-laden truck overturned on the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway, leading to massive fire and explosions.
NDTV published a report on October 8 detailing the incident on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan.
According to the report, police confirmed that a truck loaded with LPG cylinders erupted in flames after being struck by a tanker on the night of October 7. The impact set off a chain reaction of explosions as the gas cylinders detonated one after another. The force of the blasts was so powerful that some cylinders were propelled several meters from the collision site. Both the fire and the sound of explosions could be detected kilometres away.
According to eyewitness accounts cited in the report, the LPG-laden truck was parked outside a roadside hotel while its driver had gone to have dinner. An eyewitness named Vinod told reporters, “A tanker rammed the parked truck from behind, hitting the LPG cylinders.” He added that the tanker driver sustained injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
India Today also reported on October 8 that, according to police, a tanker rammed into the LPG-laden truck from behind. The truck parked outside a roadside hotel while its driver was away for a meal exploded on impact. The force of the collision caused an instant fireball, followed by a terrifying series of explosions as gas cylinders ignited one after another.
Hindustan Times and The Times of India reported on the incident on October 8, providing similar details. None of the media outlets reported the incident as a drone attack by separatists.
Responding to the incident in an X post, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma wrote, “The accident of a fire breaking out in a truck loaded with gas cylinders on the Jaipur–Ajmer National Highway in the Mozmabad police station area of Jaipur Rural is extremely tragic.
Fire brigade and disaster management teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations at the incident site. Instructions have been given to the district administration to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to provide all possible assistance to those affected. I pray to God for the safety and well-being of all citizens affected by this heart-wrenching incident.”
Therefore, we conclude that the viral video shows fire and explosions caused by a tanker colliding with a truck laden with LPG cylinders. Hence, the claim is false.
