SRI GANGANAGAR: Three people were killed and two others injured after a private ambulance collided head-on with an Army vehicle on National Highway-62 near Kenchiyan town in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district on Sunday, police said. According to preliminary information, the ambulance was carrying a woman patient who had recently been discharged from a hospital in Jaipur, according to news agency PTI. Her relatives were taking her home when the accident occurred near Suratgarh. Police said the ambulance was attempting to overtake a truck when it crashed into an Army vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The collision left the ambulance severely damaged and caused temporary disruption to traffic on the highway. The deceased were identified as Laxmi Devi (26), ambulance driver Satnam Singh (26), and Mahendra Kaur (56). Two others, Ramprakash (32) and Rajveer, sustained injuries and were admitted to a government hospital in Suratgarh for treatment. An Army statement said the ALS vehicle was part of an operational convoy and moving in the correct direction when the ambulance, coming from the opposite side, attempted to overtake a civilian truck at considerable speed. The ambulance entered the wrong lane, leaving little time to avert the collision, it said. “Tragically, three civilians lost their lives in this accident,” the statement said. It added that Army personnel immediately rendered first aid and ensured the prompt evacuation of the injured for medical attention. Police from Sadar police station reached the spot soon after receiving information and, with the assistance of local residents, carried out rescue operations. Officials said the bodies were shifted to a mortuary for post-mortem examination. The Army expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said it was extending full cooperation to the civil administration while an investigation into the incident is underway.
