A mishap was averted after an ambulance belonging to a private hospital in Panchkula caught fire on the main road outside Chandimandir police station on Monday evening.
The incident occurred around 7pm when the ambulance driver was returning after dropping off a patient at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. Barely 100 metres from the hospital, he noticed thick smoke billowing from the engine. He pulled over and switched off the vehicle, but flames suddenly engulfed it. Finding the doors locked, he smashed a window and jumped out to safety.
Hospital security and medical staff rushed to the spot with fire extinguishers and made repeated attempts to douse the flames. However, even 10 fire extinguishers failed to control the blaze. By the time a fire tender arrived, the ambulance had been completely gutted.
Meanwhile, Chandimandir police stopped traffic on both sides of the road. Vehicular movement was restored after firefighters brought the blaze under control.