Oxygen cylinder blast in ambulance leaves woman critically burnt

Titilagarh: An oxygen cylinder explosion inside a 108 ambulance left a woman critically injured near Pipilpadar village under Titilagarh police limits in Bolangir district, Friday afternoon. The incident occurred while newborn twins were being transferred from the Maternal and Child Care Hospital in Titilagarh to the Bolangir District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for advanced treatment. The explosion severely injured the woman, identified as the twin’s maternal grandmother Dutiya Jani, who suffered severe burns to both legs and multiple injuries on her body.

According to reports, the infants and her mother narrowly escaped death in the mishap. The twin’s father, Rishabh Jani, sustained minor injuries while trying to rescue his daughters. Rishabh, a resident of Chikinibahali village under Muribahal block, had admitted his wife Radha to the Maternal and Child Care Hospital late Thursday night as she was experiencing labour pain. Radha delivered twins early Friday morning. However, due to the babies’ low birth weight and the need for specialised care, doctors advised transferring them to Bolangir DHH. After arranging an ambulance, Rishabh, his two newborn daughters, wife Radha, and her mother boarded the ambulance.

However, shortly after the vehicle started, the oxygen cylinder exploded, causing a fi re inside the ambulance. The severely injured woman was admitted to Titlagarh government hospital, while the newborns and their mother were transferred to Bolangir DHH in another ambulance. Police from Titilagarh have initiated an investigation, but there was no comment from the hospital authorities on the incident.

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