Ambulance Breakdown Claims Life of 11‑Year‑Old in Kalahandi

Kalahandi witnessed a tragic incident when an 11‑year‑old girl, Riya Nayak of Tulapada village, died due to the breakdown of a 108 ambulance en route to Bhawanipatna District Headquarters Hospital.

Riya had been suffering from severe abdominal pain for two months. On Wednesday, she was referred to the district hospital as her condition worsened.

However, the ambulance carrying her suffered a punctured tyre near Gohirapadar railway crossing.

Shockingly, the spare tyre was already defunct, leaving the patient stranded for nearly three hours.

Another ambulance was eventually dispatched, but Riya succumbed to her illness before reaching the hospital. Doctors declared her dead upon arrival.

The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who condemned the negligence and poor maintenance of emergency vehicles.

Authorities admitted mechanical faults in the ambulance, intensifying calls for urgent reforms in Odisha’s emergency healthcare infrastructure.