Princh Mondal Olif, Bagerhat District Correspondent
An ambulance caught fire at the premises of Bagerhat 250-Bed District Hospital on Sunday afternoon, reportedly following a gas cylinder leak. The fire later spread to nearby motorcycles, leaving eight motorcycles completely damaged. The ambulance driver was also reportedly injured in the incident.
The fire broke out near the hospital’s main gate shortly after 12 noon.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire initially started in an ambulance parked inside the hospital premises. The flames intensified within a short time, followed by an explosion involving the ambulance’s gas cylinder. The fire then spread to motorcycles parked nearby.
On receiving the information, firefighters from Bagerhat Fire Service rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control before it could spread to the main hospital building.
Md Saidurzzaman, Deputy Director of Bagerhat Fire Service, said they received the information shortly after noon and reached the scene within around 15 minutes. Firefighters subsequently brought the situation under control.
Hospital Superintendent Asim Kumar Samaddar said eight motorcycles were burnt in the incident, including vehicles belonging to hospital staff. However, no patient was injured, he said.
The incident caused panic among patients and their relatives inside the hospital premises. The situation returned to normal after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Following the incident, Bagerhat-2 constituency lawmaker Manzurul Haque Rahad visited the hospital and spoke with the authorities about the fire.
Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Mohammad Baten also visited the site and expressed sympathy to those affected. He assured that necessary steps would be taken regarding the incident.
Mahabur Rahman Tutul, General Secretary of Bagerhat Red Crescent, said the quick response of the Fire Service prevented the fire from causing major damage to the hospital building and patients.
The exact cause of the fire and the total extent of the damage have not yet been established. Authorities said the matter would become clearer after an investigation into the suspected gas leakage and cylinder explosion.
News Published By:
Bangladesh Diary
Photo: .
