NASHIK: A pregnant woman, two of her relatives, and a doctor narrowly escaped on Wednesday evening when the ambulance transporting the woman to the district hospital exploded minutes after they had all deboarded. Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad has ordered an investigation into the incident.
The ambulance driver, who noticed smoke coming from the vehicle, promptly stopped and moved everyone to a safe distance before the oxygen cylinder inside allegedly exploded.
Collector Ayush Prasad stated, “A pregnant woman was being transported to Jalgaon District Hospital at the time of the incident. The driver had already deboarded them and moved them away before the vehicle caught fire. The police and transport department officials have been instructed to investigate the matter and submit a detailed report.”
According to Mahesh Sharma, police inspector of Jalgaon Taluka Police Station, the incident occurred on a flyover in Jalgaon city.
"The pregnant woman was being transferred to Jalgaon District Hospital from Dharangaon in a 108 Emergency Response Service ambulance. We received information about the ambulance catching fire, and personnel along with the fire brigade were deployed. Everyone was already evacuated, and the ambulance exploded afterward," the officer said.
The police reported that the vehicle was in the Dadawadi area, over the flyover, at the time of the incident.
The ambulance driver, who witnessed smoke billowing from the vehicle, parked it on the side of the road and, with assistance from the doctor on board and bystanders, quickly helped the woman and her relatives deboard. He also alerted the police station and arranged for another ambulance to transport the woman to the hospital.
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