Ambulance burns to ashes in Mymensingh

An ambulance was completely destroyed after catching fire while parked on a roadside in Mymensingh city on Thursday afternoon.

The fire broke out around 4:30pm in the Maskanda area when the driver had briefly gone to a nearby workshop to repair a wheel, leaving the ambulance parked by the road, said Md Hafijur Rahman, station officer of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Fire Station.

Passersby first noticed smoke billowing from the vehicle and raised the alarm. Firefighters rushed to the spot and battled the flames for about half an hour before bringing the fire under control. By then, the ambulance had been reduced to a charred shell.

Fortunately, no patients or passengers were inside the vehicle at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the blaze is not believed to have originated from a gas cylinder, nor is there any indication of sabotage. 

Preliminary assessment suggests the fire may have started from a discarded cigarette.

The incident has sparked concern among locals, as the vehicle meant to save lives was lost within minutes, turning a routine repair stop into a scene of shock and helplessness.

Kamruzzaman Minto/MSU