A forensic report has confirmed that the devastating bus fire near Thaiyat village in Jaisalmer, which claimed 26 lives, was caused by a short circuit in the vehicle's air-conditioning system, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred on October 14 after the private bus travelling to Jodhpur caught fire, barely 10 minutes after it left Jaisalmer.

The joint report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams from Jodhpur and Jaipur ruled out the presence of any explosives or firecrackers inside the bus.

Investigators found that the fire originated from the AC unit mounted on the roof, whose wiring was connected directly to the engine.

"The spark from the wiring caused smoke and the spread of carbon monoxide inside the bus, leading to suffocation of passengers. As soon as the win

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