Ambulance stuck in pothole in Agra delays care; unborn baby dies, officials investigate

An ambulance carrying a woman in labour was stuck in a large, mud-filled pothole for nearly two hours in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district, after which her unborn baby died, according to reports.The incident occurred in Gadhbar village under the Bah sub-division during the early hours of September 2–3. The woman, identified in reports as Nidhi Singh, went into labour around 1 am, prompting her family to call an emergency ambulance to take her to a Community Health Centre located around 9 km away.However, the ambulance became immobilised after hitting a deep pothole on the village link road, around 2 km from her home. The driver reportedly struggled to move the vehicle, forcing villagers to arrange a tractor to pull the ambulance out.An unborn child died in Agra district's Bah sub-division after an ambulance carrying a 25-year-old woman in labour got stuck in a massive pothole for over two hours.The incident happened in Gadhbar village during the early hours of Sept 3, when around 1 am, Nidhi, wife of… pic.twitter.com/ZgFSGddxvO— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) September 7, 2026 Ambulance stuck for nearly two hoursAccording to The Indian Express, it took nearly two hours before the ambulance could be freed. The woman eventually reached the health centre at around 3:30 am. Doctors later said the baby had died in the womb following complications, with the delay during the emergency journey also being cited in reports. The mother was subsequently stabilised after emergency treatment.The incident has triggered questions over the condition of the village road and alleged administrative inaction. Villagers said the stretch had been repaired by the Public Works Department (PWD) around six months earlier but was damaged roughly a month ago following heavy rainfall and soil erosion.Residents also claimed they had repeatedly brought the deteriorating road to the attention of the PWD junior engineer but that no action was taken.Complaint raised with administrationThe issue was subsequently raised at a public hearing at Bah tehsil, where a relative reportedly submitted a complaint to the district administration alleging that the delay caused by the damaged road contributed to the baby's death.Tripura Tragedy: Class 10 Student Drowns While Bathing In Jagannath Dighi, Body Recovered After Prolonged SearchOfficials have acknowledged the complaint. The Bah Sub-Divisional Magistrate said the PWD had been informed and that repairs would be expedited, while authorities have also indicated that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be investigated. Health department officials, including the Chief Medical Officer, have sought reports on the matter, according to reports by The Economic Times.Video of rescue goes viralMeanwhile, a video showing villagers using a tractor to pull the stranded ambulance out of the pothole has circulated widely on social media, bringing renewed attention to the condition of rural roads and the consequences of infrastructure failures during medical emergencies.

An unborn child died in Agra after an ambulance got stuck in a large pothole. The vehicle remained immobilized for over two hours, delaying critical medical arrival. Villagers attempted to free the ambulance, but the delay proved fatal for the baby. The family reached the health center too late to save the child. Officials are now probing the incident and promising road repairs.