JAISALMER: At least three people, including a patient, were killed and two others were seriously injured after a private ambulance collided head-on with an Indian Army vehicle on National Highway-62 near Suratgarh in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district on Sunday morning, police said.The accident occurred near 22 LGW under the jurisdiction of Suratgarh Sadar Police Station. The impact of the collision was so severe that the ambulance was completely mangled. The crash triggered panic among motorists and temporarily disrupted traffic on the highway.Police and local residents immediately launched rescue operations after receiving information about the accident. The injured were rushed to Suratgarh Government Hospital for initial treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were shifted to the hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.According to police, the victims who died at the scene have been identified as Mahendra Kaur, Laxmi and Satnam, all residents of 5-B Koni village under the Hindumalkot Police Station area in Sri Ganganagar district. Mahendra Kaur was the patient being transported in the ambulance.The two injured, identified as Rampratap and ambulance driver Rajveer, were later referred to the District Hospital in Sri Ganganagar for advanced treatment. Their condition is reported to be serious.Sub-Inspector Sampat Dhayal of Suratgarh Sadar Police Station said the preliminary investigation indicates that the accident involved a head-on collision between an Army vehicle and the private ambulance. Police are collecting evidence from the scene, and the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.Traffic on National Highway-62 remained disrupted for some time before police removed the damaged vehicles and restored normal movement.In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Nikhil Dhawan, Defence Spokesperson for the Indian Army, said the accident occurred near Kenchiyan town on the Suratgarh–Sri Ganganagar road when the civilian ambulance attempted to overtake a truck and collided with an oncoming Army Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicle.“The tragic accident claimed the lives of three civilians. The injured were provided immediate medical assistance and shifted to hospital without delay. The police and civil administration are present at the scene, and all necessary legal procedures are being carried out,” he said.Lt Col Dhawan added that the Indian Army extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and remains committed to extending full cooperation to the civil administration during the investigation.
