Fresh details have emerged about the ambulance fire and explosion inside Udala Hospital in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, with ambulance driver Bikash Pradhan reportedly narrating the sequence of events before the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI).
According to the driver’s account, the incident began shortly after a patient was placed inside the ambulance and oxygen support was started. At that moment, the patient’s attendants asked for a pulse oximeter. While Pradhan was handing over the device, flames suddenly emerged from a wire beneath the basin inside the ambulance.
The fire reportedly spread to the oxygen pipe, resulting in an oxygen leak. The flames soon intensified, turning the incident into a major emergency inside the hospital premises.
Driver Rescues Patient Amid Flames
Amid the rapidly spreading fire, the driver reportedly risked his life to rescue the patient. Using a stretcher, he managed to bring the patient out of the burning ambulance.
According to his statement, the entire ambulance was engulfed in flames within approximately 20 minutes.
The driver also stated that the ambulance had four tanks, of which two were empty. He claimed that the fire originated around one of the tanks, which subsequently exploded. The exact technical cause of the fire and explosion, however, remains to be established.
One Patient Dies, Two Others Critically Injured
The incident had tragic consequences, with one patient reportedly dying from burn injuries. Local people present at the hospital rushed to help and assisted in removing patients from the ambulance.
The explosion was reportedly so powerful that the upper portion of the ambulance was blown off and fell on other patients, leaving two people critically injured.
The incident triggered panic across the hospital premises as people rushed to help those affected by the fire and explosion.
Fire Services Team Brings Blaze Under Control
Following the incident, a fire services team reached the hospital and brought the blaze under control.
The driver’s account has provided details about how the fire may have started and spread. However, the precise cause of the incident, including the role of the electrical wiring and oxygen system, will require technical investigation.
Further details regarding the ambulance’s safety arrangements and the circumstances leading to the explosion are awaited.