Malkangiri: A severe fuel shortage in Odisha’s Malkangiri district has allegedly claimed the life of a man after a delay in medical transportation caused by the unavailability of petrol and diesel.

The deceased has been identified as Basanta Khila of Kusumput village in Malkangiri district. The incident has intensified public anger over the ongoing fuel crisis in the region, where residents have been facing long queues at fuel stations and traffic disruptions on highways due to shortages.

According to reports, the 36-year-old Basanta had climbed a mango tree to pluck mangoes when he accidentally slipped and fell to the ground, sustaining critical injuries. Family members immediately rushed him towards a hospital on a motorcycle.

Injured man dies after bike runs out of petrol midway to hospital

However, midway through the journey, the motorcycle reportedly ran out of fuel. Due to the acute fuel shortage in the area, the family was unable to arrange petrol immediately and had to call an ambulance for assistance.

After some delay, an ambulance arrived and shifted the injured man to Mathili CHC. Doctors there later referred him to the district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri for advanced treatment.

However, by the time he reached the Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital, doctors declared him dead.

The tragic incident comes amid an ongoing fuel crisis in the district. On Sunday, reports had emerged that more than 5,000 chickens died due to disruptions caused by the shortage of diesel and petrol supply.

Residents across the district have been facing major hardships, with people standing in long queues for fuel while several areas have witnessed road blockades and protests over the crisis. Authorities are yet to issue a detailed statement regarding the fuel supply situation in the district.