Two dead after ambulance catches fire

Two persons were charred to death and another is said to be critical after the ambulance they were sleeping inside caught fire in the small hours of Tuesday in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

The police said that they have registered a case and are probing the matter.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Romil Baaniya said that the deceased have been identified as Rahul Saxena (24), from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad and Guddu (25), a resident of Khanpur.

The injured, Subodh Kumar, a resident of Sangam Vihar, has sustained over 90% burns, the police said.

All the three were employees of Rana Ambulances, they added.

S.P. Rana, owner of Rana Ambulances, said that the trio was on night duty on Monday and he had met them around 11.00 p.m. near Pushpawati Singhania Hospital & Research Institute (PSRI) in Sheikh Sarai where the ambulance was parked.

“Subodh and Guddu were ambulance assistants. Rahul used to take care of patients in our old age homes. When I met them, they were all outside the ambulance. I told them to take care because the weather was bad. After this, I left the spot,” he said.

Around 12.30 a.m., the ambulance caught fire. It also spread to other two ambulances parked next to it, the police said.

The PCR call was made at 12.56 a.m. after which the police reached the spot. Both Rahul and Guddu were found charred to death. Subodh was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

The police suspect that a mosquito coil might have caused the fire.

Mr. Rana told the police that when he had met them, the trio had lit a mosquito coil near the ambulance.

‘Victims dozed off’

“It is suspected that they might have gone inside the ambulance after the dust storm began and dozed off. The fire spread due to the strong winds,” he said.

Mr. Baaniya said that that the Forensics Science Laboratory team has inspected the spot to ascertain the cause of fire.

Rahul’s younger brother Shubham said that their family has lost their only bread earner .

“We were three brothers and Rahul was the eldest. He made sure that both of us studied. Our mother is unwell and father is no more. He was taking care of us,” he said.

The police have registered a case under Sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).