Four From Odisha Die On The Spot As Ambulance Rams Into Oil Tanker In Andhra Pradesh

Bhubaneswar: Four person from Odisha were killed after an ambulance in which they were travelling crashed into a stationary oil tanker at Tellagundla Palle village on Bangaluru-Tirupati National Highway in Chittoor area of Andhra Pradesh on Friday morning.

The deceased were identified as Umesh Chandra Sahoo (46), his wife Rasmita (45), Tirlochan Nayak (63) and Bijay Nayak (56), all residents of Gobindapur village within Pattamundai police limits in Kendrapara district. The two drivers of the ill-fated ambulance suffered grievous injuries and have been admitted to a hospital in Chittoor.

According to media reports, the accident took place around 4 am when the four were returning in an ambulance, belonging to KIMS hospital, after treatment at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. The front of the ambulance was completely damaged under the impact of the collision.

Umesh was suffering from kidney disease for the last two years and doctors of a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he was undergoing treatment, referred him to a private hospital in Bengaluru. He along with his wife and other family members travelled to Bengaluru on Wednesday in an ambulance, but were turned away by doctors of the Bengaluru hospital.

“While the four died on the spot after suffering serious head injuries, ambulance driver Sanjay and oil tanker driver Sankar sustained serious injuries. They have been admitted to Chittoor Government Hospital and a case has been registered at Thavanampalli police station,” Chittoor DSP K Srinivasa Murthy was quoted as saying.

Police have seized both the vehicles and detained the driver of the oil tanker.