Patna: A frightening incident took place on Saturday evening on Patna’s Atal Path when an ambulance carrying an elderly patient and four of his family members suddenly caught fire while moving towards Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). The ambulance was coming from IGIMS hospital. The patient was being shifted because no bed was available there. What should have been a normal hospital transfer quickly turned into a life-threatening emergency.
The family members said that they first noticed a smell of smoke after the ambulance crossed the Rajiv Nagar flyover. They asked the driver to stop the vehicle. As soon as the ambulance stopped near the Digha flyover, flames began to come out from the vehicle. Shockingly, instead of helping the patient and his family, the ambulance driver ran away from the spot, leaving them alone in the burning vehicle.
The patient, Rajdev Paswan, who lives in Khagaul in Patna and originally comes from Aurangabad, was lying on a stretcher and was on oxygen support at that time. His oxygen pipe got disconnected when the fire started, making it very difficult for him to breathe. His family members began shouting for help. Hearing their cries, people passing by on the road and local residents rushed to the ambulance. Together, they quickly pulled the patient, the stretcher, and the four family members out of the ambulance.
Within minutes, the entire ambulance, including its tyres, was covered in flames. The family immediately called Dial 112 for emergency help. For about 20 minutes, they waited for assistance while trying to keep the patient calm. Finally, a traffic police vehicle coming from the Marine Drive side arrived and took the patient and his family to PMCH so that he could get medical care as soon as possible.
Soon after, three fire engines reached the spot and put out the fire. The police said that the cause of the fire is still not known and an investigation will be done. The burnt ambulance has been removed from the road and the traffic situation is now normal. Thanks to the quick action of local people, the patient’s life was saved, even though the incident caused panic and fear among everyone present.
