Rupsa: Six persons suffered serious injuries when an ambulance carrying them and a patient burst into flames after colliding with a container truck at Murkimundi Chowk on NH-16 under this police limits in Balasore district Sunday morning, police said. The injured patient was identified as Jatindra Singh. The others who got hurt were his wife, nephew, the ambulance driver and helper, and a pharmacist, police informed. Jatindra, a resident of Putura village under Basta block experienced chest pain Saturday night. He was rushed to the community health centre there.
However, as his condition deteriorated, doctors asked the family members of Jatindra to shift him to the Balasore district headquarters hospital. The ‘108 ambulance’ (Regd No- OD 02-CN9088) was en route to Balasore when the mishap happened. On being informed, a police team reached the spot and took the injured to the hospital.
As a result of the impact, the oxygen cylinder in the ambulance exploded and the vehicle caught fire, police said. Later in the day as the condition of Jatindra and the pharmacist deteriorated they were shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.