Balashore: A man died, and two were injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded inside an ambulance at Udala Sub-division hospital in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
The tragedy happened on October 8 when the patient was being transferred to a different hospital in Bhubaneswar.
According to the reports, the explosion was so extreme that the roof of the ambulance blew off, and it landed on the people who were standing near the vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Sujosh Barik, who was a resident of Kundala village. Barik was suffering from a severe blood infection and was being treated at a local hospital. He was admitted to the local hospital in the morning because he had difficulty breathing and a high temperature.
However, his family was advised to shift him to another hospital in Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment after his condition worsened. The family booked a private ambulance to transfer Sujosh to another hospital.
According to TNIE, the eyewitnesses said that at the time when Sujosh was being taken inside the ambulance, the oxygen cylinder suddenly caught fire and exploded.
According to the police, the ambulance caught fire and exploded when the driver opened an oxygen cylinder valve, causing a sudden gas leak that quickly trapped the vehicle in flames.
Sujosh’s family was able to pull him out of the ambulance, but he died within minutes because of the severe injuries and burns that he suffered. Two of Sujosh’s attendants, who tried to rescue him from the ambulance, also suffered major burns.
Sujosh’s attendants who were injured during the incident were later admitted to the sub-divisional hospital for treatment.
The blaze was brought under control soon after the fire service personnel reached the spot. According to the reports, the locals said that many people tried to rescue Sujosh, but the doctors declared him dead.
There is an ongoing investigation going on to understand the circumstances leading to the explosion.
Banamali Barik, who is the officer in charge of Udala police station, said that the cause of death of the patient was the severe burns that he sustained after the oxygen cylinder exploded and the ambulance caught fire.
(Rh/ARC)