Five luxury tents gutted as fire engulfs resort in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer
Residents accused the district administration and municipal authorities of negligence, claiming that the fire brigade was absent despite the area’s vulnerability to such incidents
A fire broke out at a luxury tent resort in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer late on Thursday, triggering panic among tourists even as no casualties were reported, police said on Friday. Tourists fled in panic as the flames spread rapidly, and five luxury tents were completely gutted.
Resort staff and some of the tourists tried to douse the flames by throwing sand, as no fire tenders or civil defense teams reached the spot in time. Eyewitnesses said the blaze was so intense it was visible from nearly a kilometre away.
Bagdu Ram, a Rajasthan Police officer, said the fire broke out around 9pm at Jain Resort when a music and cultural programme was being held on the resort premises. “Flames suddenly erupted in one of the tents. Fuelled by strong desert winds, the fire quickly spread to adjacent tents. It took nearly 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control.”
He said expensive furnishings and electrical fittings were gutted, and many tourists lost personal belongings. The tourists from Maharashtra staying at the resort were shifted to other tents after the fire was extinguished.
Residents accused the district administration and municipal authorities of negligence, claiming that the fire brigade was absent despite the area’s vulnerability to such incidents.
Ram said a fire tender is usually stationed near the resort during the tourist season, but it was not present at the time of the incident. He added that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
Resorts in the region typically host evening cultural programmes featuring Rajasthani folk music and Kalbelia dance. The fire broke out when most tourists were away from their tents, preventing a major tragedy.
A sprawling tent city is set up across nearly 10 kilometers from Jaisalmer’s Kanoi to Sam village annually. Resorts operate between 20 to 100 tents. The peak tourist season begins around Diwali and continues until January, drawing domestic and foreign visitors.
On October 14, a sleeper bus carrying 35 passengers caught fire on the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur highway, killing at least 28 people.
