A 35-year-old patient died and two people suffered burn injuries after an oxygen cylinder exploded inside an ambulance outside Udala Sub-Divisional Hospital in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Thursday, police said. The incident occurred as the patient was being shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar for treatment of a severe blood infection.
The deceased was identified as Sujosh Barik, a resident of Kundabai under the jurisdiction of Udala police station. According to police, the ambulance driver opened the oxygen cylinder’s valve to provide oxygen to Barik during the transfer. A suspected leak then triggered a fire inside the vehicle, which intensified rapidly before the cylinder exploded.
“The patient died inside the ambulance due to the fire caused by the oxygen cylinder blast. Two others also suffered burn injuries while rescuing the patient,” Udala police station inspector-in-charge Banamali Barik said, according to the report.
The blast caused extensive damage to the ambulance, including blowing off its roof. Family members managed to pull Barik out of the burning vehicle, but he had suffered severe burn injuries and died within minutes, police said. The two injured people were hurt while attempting to rescue him from the ambulance.
Firefighters were called to the scene and later brought the blaze under control. The ambulance had been hired from a private operator, according to police. The available account does not specify the vehicle’s make, the oxygen cylinder’s supplier, or whether the equipment had undergone a recent safety inspection.
The incident highlights the risks involved in transporting patients who require oxygen in enclosed emergency vehicles, particularly when a leak develops during transit. In this case, the ambulance was positioned outside a sub-divisional hospital while the patient was being prepared or moved for treatment in Bhubaneswar. The precise cause of the suspected leak, the condition of the cylinder and the circumstances leading to the fire remain subject to the police investigation.
Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Further details about the injuries suffered by the two rescuers, the ambulance operator and the oxygen equipment are expected as the investigation proceeds.
