FIRE BREAKS OUT IN AMBULANCE; TWO DIE, ONE CRITICALLY INJURED
NEW DELHI: Two persons died whereas another person was critically injured after a fire broke out inside an ambulance in which they were sleeping in Sheikh Sarai in South Delhi area on Tuesday. Police claimed that the victims were sleeping inside the vehicle when the incident occurred. Their bodies were totally charred and the third injured person remained very critical. The area where the incident had mosquitoes so the ambulance drivers used to keep egg trays with them as the traditional mosquito repellent. Few of nearby ambulances were also burnt in the fire and police suspect that it might be possible that the trays caught fire resulting in the casualty.
The deceased were identified as Rahul (24) and Guddu (25) whereas the injured victim was identified as 40-year-old Subodh. Police claimed that the incident was reported on the intervening night of May 7-8 after they received a PCR call at 12:56 am regarding the fire in the ambulance from Sheikh Sarai area. “Two of them were found dead inside the ambulance and one was rushed to the hospital where he is critical and unfit for the statement,” said the police officer adding that all the three were ambulance staff of Rana ambulance.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Romil Baaniya stated that a case under sections 285/338/304A of IPC has been registered against the unknown in Malviya Nagar police station. Police claimed that the eyewitnesses were the drivers who were on the spot when they heard the sound of breaking glass. “The reason might be that the gas may have filled inside the ambulance resulting in the breaking of the window glass,” said the DCP. He further added that nearby drivers started to take out the victims who were sleeping inside. There was not much water on the spot so they took out water from drains so that they can douse off the fire,” police said.
Police team during the investigation found that other ambulance had caught fire and egg trays were found near the spot. This was used as mosquito repellents and it is suspected that it was burning inside the ambulance. “The other drivers told them that there were mosquitoes in the area so they used the egg trays,” said the police officer. The vehicles were standing at one place. When asked whether the egg trays resulted in the fire, the police officer said that probe is on as the vehicle was not moving; chances of the short circuit may be less but the investigation is on from all angles.
Another angle which is being investigated are whether the ambulance door was locked or not at the time of the incident. The mother of Rahul, Sushila Saxena who was at the AIIMS mortuary stated that her son was the only bread and butter earner in the house. “He left his studies and started working so that the family can be fed. He made sure that his both the brothers complete their education but now it is a question mark,” said the mother.
She further stated that her child was working in Delhi for one and half years and he did not sleep in the ambulance his only job was to take care of patients. “On Monday, I talked to him on phone around 11 pm but due to storm my son told me that he will call me in the morning,” said the mother. The deceased family members raised suspicion why Rahul slept inside an ambulance. The family members of Guddu refused to talk about the incident.