Two dead, 31 injured in Pushkar bus crash; locals use saris as ropes in daring rescue

AJMER: A devastating accident claimed the lives of two women and left 31 others injured after a private bus lost control and plunged into a gorge near Sanjeesar in the Pushkar Valley. The passengers, a group from Ajmer, were travelling to Pushkar to attend a social function when the vehicle skidded off the main road and overturned.

The deceased have been identified by police as Pooja (28) and Vimala Devi (50). Authorities noted that while the fall was steep, a significantly higher death toll was narrowly avoided because the bus became wedged in dense trees and bushes midway down the gorge, which halted its descent and prevented it from reaching the base of the ravine.

In the immediate aftermath, local residents emerged as the primary first responders. Faced with a lack of professional climbing gear and the treacherous terrain, the villagers showed incredible resourcefulness by tying their clothes and saris together to create improvised ropes. Using these handmade lines, they descended the slope and carried the injured passengers back up to the road one by one until official help arrived.

Official rescue teams from the SDRF, Civil Defence, and local police reached the spot to take over the operation. The injured were immediately rushed to the Government Hospital in Pushkar for emergency care, with several victims later being transferred to the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Hospital in Ajmer for further treatment.