Jaipur, Dec 10 : In a devastating collision between a sleeper bus and a speeding truck, four people lost their lives and 28 others were injured near Fatehpur on the Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway.

The accident took place late at night on Tuesday. Local residents said the rescue operation was extremely difficult as several passengers were trapped under the seats and twisted metal.

Three people died on the spot, while the injured bus conductor succumbed during treatment in Jaipur on Wednesday morning.

Those killed include bus passenger Mayank, driver Kamlesh, and one yet-unidentified person. Conductor Mitesh, who was referred from SK Hospital, Sikar, to Jaipur in critical condition, also died.

All passengers were residents of Valsad (Gujarat) and were returning from Vaishno Devi, heading toward Khatu Shyamji.

Around 50 people were on board. According to eyewitnesses, the sleeper bus was travelling from Bikaner toward Jaipur, while the truck was coming from Jhunjhunu toward Bikaner.

The two vehicles collided head-on, triggering a massive impact that shattered the bus structure.

Passengers seated in the cabin and nearby suffered the most severe injuries, with glass shards and metal fragments piercing their bodies. Police and local residents quickly launched a rescue operation, pulling trapped passengers out of the wreckage. Multiple ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals.

The mangled bus was later removed with a crane to restore traffic flow on the highway.

Ambulance driver Bhim Singh, one of the first responders, said, â??I received the call on Tuesday night, and screams were heard everywhere. We immediately alerted the 108 ambulance service. With help from locals, we pulled out trapped passengers and rushed them to the Fatehpur government hospital.â??

Sikar Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Tejpal Singh confirmed the death toll and said 15 passengers were seriously injured and were referred to Sikar for advanced treatment. According to officials, the condition of two to three of the injured is critical.

Singh said that rescue and medical response teams worked swiftly to move the injured to hospitals.

/IANS