Balasore: A 35-year-old patient died and two persons were injured after an oxygen cylinder allegedly exploded inside a private ambulance outside Udala sub-divisional hospital in Mayurbhanj district on Thursday evening. The explosion was so powerful that the roof of the ambulance was blown off.The deceased was identified as Sujosh Barik of Kundabai village under Udala police station limits. He was suffering from a severe blood infection and was being shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar when the incident occurred. According to police, the explosion took place when the ambulance driver was opening the oxygen cylinder valve to administer oxygen to the patient. A sudden gas leak reportedly triggered a fire, which quickly engulfed the ambulance before the cylinder exploded.The patient’s family members and local residents managed to pull him out of the burning vehicle. However, he had sustained severe burn injuries and died within minutes, police said. Two other persons also suffered burn injuries while attempting to rescue the patient.Fire services personnel later reached the spot and brought the blaze under control. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic following the explosion. Local resident Sarat Pradhan said the blast occurred suddenly while the patient and the ambulance driver were inside the vehicle. Local people rushed to the spot and helped rescue them, but doctors subsequently declared the patient dead.Another eyewitness, Sudam Behera, said the explosion took place while the driver was opening the cylinder to provide oxygen to the patient. The intensity of the blast left people in the vicinity terrified, he added. Police are looking into the circumstances leading to the incident. Officer-in-charge, Udala police station, Banamali Barik said the patient died after sustaining severe burns in the fire triggered by the oxygen cylinder explosion.
