A fire gutted an ambulance in Bhubaneswar’s Jagamara area early Monday morning, destroying the emergency vehicle but causing no casualties.
Witnesses said flames suddenly engulfed the ambulance, prompting locals to alert the Fire Services Department.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and controlled the blaze using foam spray. However, the fire had already consumed the vehicle completely. Ambulance driver Anand Kumar Chhotray revealed that the vehicle had been facing battery issues and required push-starts daily. He also reported engine problems in recent days.
The ambulance had returned from Cuttack around 4:30 a.m. and caught fire at about 6 a.m. while parked. A sanitation worker from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation noticed the flames first and alerted residents. Vehicle owners quickly moved their cars away, preventing the fire from spreading and averting a major mishap.
Authorities suspect a short circuit triggered the blaze, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Fortunately, no patient was inside the ambulance at the time.
