Witnesses told NDTV that passengers on a bus that caught fire were trapped after the doors got jammed.
Visuals have emerged giving a bird's-eye view of the devastation wrought by the collision between a truck, gas tanker and several other vehicles in Rajasthan. At least 12 people were killed and 40 injured, 28 of whom are critical.
The video shows charred hunks of metal left behind of what were once functioning vehicles. Several fire engines can be seen and the footage makes it clear that a large section of the road - approximately 300 metres - was affected, as were areas in the immediate vicinity. Bulldozers can also be seen trying to clear the wreckage so that the road can be used for traffic again.
A CNG tanker parked near a petrol pump had caught fire after a truck collided with it and several other vehicles at Ajmer Road in Jaipur on Friday morning. The CNG tanker sprung a leak after the collision and an explosion followed. The fire spread quickly to other vehicles, including cars and a bus, leaving people with no time to react.
Witnesses told NDTV that passengers on a bus that caught fire were trapped after the exit doors got jammed. People standing on the side of the road or waiting in parked vehicles also suffered burn injuries and a small building close to the road was engulfed by fire.
Flames from the inferno could be seen nearly a kilometre away.
"I was going to Vishwakarma Industrial Area with my truck from Bagru at around 5 am to load some goods. It was very cold and I was going at a normal speed. At one point, about 200 metres ahead, I saw a cloud of smoke, high up in the sky," truck driver Sumer Singh told news agency PTI.
"It felt as if I could see hell in front of me. I steered the truck left, jumped out and ran. When I finally looked back, I could see nothing but fire," he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar visited the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, where many of the injured were being treated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
"Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident on Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.