A 14-year-old burn victim died on the way to the hospital as the ambulance carrying her got stuck in a heavy traffic jam, thus causing a delay in her admission and treatment.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when Shivani, who had sustained 90 per cent burn injuries, was being transported to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh.

The ambulance carrying Shivani got stuck in a traffic jam caused by the sugarcane laden tractor trollies and trucks outside Shamli Sugar Mill, thus causing a delay in taking her to the primary health centre (PHC). When even after repeated attempts the ambulance could not move ahead, the hapless family members left the ambulance and carried Shivani on a stretcher to the PHC.

The doctors at PHC referred Shivani to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. From the PHC, the ambulance started driving towards Delhi but could not cover much distance due to the massive jam at the sugar mill. As a result of the delay, Shivani succumbed to her injuries.

Speaking about the incident, Dinesh Kumar, PRO to SSP Shamli, said that the jam was caused by some technical snag at the sugar mill. Police were deployed there to regulate and monitor the heavy rush of traffic which included the sugarcane carrying trucks and trollies and private vehicles, and the ambulance.

Shivani, daughter of Prem Singh of Gomtipur Sikka village of Shamli, had lit up a kerosene lamp after a power cut on Tuesday night. Her clothes accidentally caught fire and she sustained 90 per cent burns. Her family members rushed her to the PHC which is situated close to the sugar mill and one has to pass through the sugarcane laden vehicles to reach the PHC. This tragic case has once again highlighted the need for clear roads so that in case of an emergency like this there is no delay and crucial time is not wasted as happened with Shivani.

According to the local residents, heavy flow of vehicles carrying sugarcane causes frequent traffic jams near the Kotwali area and outside the sugar mill where the road is narrow. Hence, it becomes difficult for the police to manage and streamline the traffic on this section.