Pregnant woman, 4 hospital staff among 7 killed in Tharparkar ambulance fire

THARPARKAR: An oxygen cylinder explosion set a People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) ambulance ablaze at a basic health unit (BHU) Plus facility in Tharparkar, claiming seven lives, including those of a pregnant woman and four hospital employees, rescue officials said. Two attendants were also among the dead, officials said. Assistant Commissioner Nagarparkar Erum Karim Narejo said the ambulance, operated by the PPHI, was parked at the facility when the incident occurred. Rescue officials said the fire erupted as staff were changing the ambulance's oxygen cylinder. Hospital administration said the pregnant woman was still inside the ambulance when staff began fitting the cylinder. An explosion during the process triggered the fire. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Mithi for treatment, the assistant commissioner said. The identification of those who died was underway, while teams from the district administration, rescue services and the health department were present at the scene. The incident has drawn attention to the challenges facing healthcare services in Tharparkar, a largely arid district where residents often depend on public health facilities for medical care and emergency transport. In a report published in October 2019, Geo.tv highlighted difficulties in accessing ambulance services at Civil Hospital Mithi. The hospital had refused to provide an ambulance to transport the body of a deceased infant, citing a lack of funds for fuel. The earlier case is separate from the current incident but illustrates concerns over the availability of emergency transport in the district. The cause of the explosion has yet to be officially confirmed.