Bhubaneswar: An ambulance suddenly caught fire and was completely engulfed in flames in Jagamara area near Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar in the early hours of Monday.
According to sources, the fire broke out in the parked vehicle around 6 am after it returned from a trip to Cuttack around 4:30 am. Fortunately, because the patient had already been transferred and the driver along with the attendant had stepped out of the vehicle and were resting in their rooms, no injuries or casualties were reported.
Locals and a Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) sanitation worker first noticed the flames engulfing the vehicle and promptly alerted residents and the Fire Services Department. Firefighters immediately reached the spot and contained the blaze using foam. By the time the fire was extinguished, however, the ambulance had been severely damaged and was largely gutted.
Several cars and other vehicles were parked nearby when the fire started. Vehicle owners acted quickly to move their cars to safety, averting what could have become a larger incident involving multiple vehicles.
Speaking to the media, driver Anand Kumar Chhotray said that the vehicle had been experiencing persistent mechanical issues, including battery-related problems and engine troubles.
While the exact trigger behind the sudden outbreak remains unconfirmed, a technical snag or a short circuit in the engine bay is being suspected to be the primary cause.
