A 108 ambulance went up in flames at Paritala on Thursday morning, triggering panic in the locality. Officials claimed no one was injured in the incident as the flames were doused immediately. There was no patient in the vehicle.
The ambulance (AP29TA3592) was heading to the Kanchikacherla EMRI office and broke down near Paritala. The 108 staff pushed the van to a petrol bunk nearby and parked there. But then, flames broke out from the engine, reportedly due to a short circuit. GVK officials blamed a short circuit for the fire. The vehicle was not being used as ambulance since it needed repairs. It had completed 5.5 lakh km of mileage and there was wear and tear in the wiring. Further, there was a snag in the gear box, which was to be replaced today, said GVK EMRI CEO Brahmananda Rao.
“In the past, though there were minor fire accidents in ambulances, this was the first time that an entire vehicle went up in flames. We are conducting an enquiry into the incident,” said Mr. Rao. Transport officials said 35 ambulances are registered in the district, they too have to obtain a fitness certificate from the department every year.
