MALKANGIRI : Amid the ongoing fuel crisis in Malkangiri district, a 36-year-old man with fractured ribs allegedly died due to delay in reaching the hospital as the motorcycle on which he was being transported, ran out of petrol midway on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Basanta Khila, a resident of the remote Kusumpur village under Mathili block.
Sources said Basanta was plucking mangoes from a tree when he fell down and suffered grievous injuries. Family members immediately took him to Mathili sub-divisional hospital on a motorcycle. However, the two-wheeler reportedly ran out of petrol midway.
With fuel unavailable in nearby areas due to the prevailing shortage, Basanta was left stranded on the road. After an hour, an ambulance arrived and shifted him to the sub-divisional hospital. As his condition was critical, Basanta was referred to the Malkangiri district headquarters hospital (DHH). However, he was received dead on arrival at the DHH.
Dr Sambid Kumar Lenka of the DHH said Basanta had sustained multiple rib fractures on the left side of his chest. Quoting the deceased’s family members, he said the motorcycle carrying the man from his village to Mathili hospital ran out of fuel midway in a ghat section passing through dense forests. Subsequently, family members contacted the ambulance.
Father-in-law Mangala Majhi said if the motorcycle had not run out of fuel, Basanta could have reached hospital in time and his life might have been saved. He alleged that the ambulance reached them nearly an hour after being contacted.
The incident has triggered widespread concern in the district where fuel scarcity has severely disrupted normal life over the past several days. While long queues continue at petrol pumps, commuters are struggling to procure fuel for essential travel. The crisis has also affected emergency services, transport operations and commercial establishments.
Earlier on Saturday night, more than 5,300 chickens died at a poultry farm in Malkangiri town after the owner allegedly failed to procure diesel to operate the generator backup during a prolonged power outage.