WATCH | Jaipur accident: Dumper driver was drunk? Victims, bikes got caught under truck as 18 feared dead in Harmada

The driver of the dumper truck who rammed into several vehicles in Jaipur's Harmada area on Monday afternoon was drunk, according to a report. The number of victims has gone up to 19, Hindi media reports said, as many of the critically injured patients later succumbed while undergoing treatment. The dumper driver is in custody and an investigation is underway.

Earlier it was reported that at least 12 people were killed when a speeding dumper truck went on a horrific hitting spree. Two-wheelers and pedestrians were among the victims of the incident, CCTV visuals showed. Survivors who are critical were referred to the SMS Hospital's trauma centre.

"The dumper hit several vehicles in a chain collision near Loha Mandi. Twelve people died in the accident and as many have been injured," Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Soni told news agency PTI. It was a Herculean task to remove the bikes that got stuck under the truck, reports said.

The dumper was empty and coming from Road No. 14 towards the Loha Mandi petrol pump when it began hitting vehicles one after another over a stretch of nearly 300 metres. The accident was so horrific that several bodies were trapped beneath the heavy vehicle, local reports said. Police teams rushed to the site, diverted traffic and initiated efforts to remove the damaged vehicles from the highway. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals in ambulances.

This is the second major road accident in Rajasthan in as many days. At least 15 people, including 10 women and four children, died and two others were injured when a tempo traveller rammed into a stationary trailer truck in Phalodi area on Sunday evening.