‘We were stuck for nearly 40 minutes’: 62-year-old Delhi tourist dies in Mussoorie after traffic delays medical help; family slams poor emergency response, ambulance shortage | Dehradun News

DEHRADUN: A 62-year-old man from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk recently died in Mussoorie after suffering a suspected heart attack, with his family unable to access timely medical help due to the unavailability of an ambulance and severe traffic congestion, officials said on Saturday. Despite police escorting the car, Kamal Kishore Tandon’s family took over an hour to cover less than 4km on Thursday, they added. Tandon was visiting his family’s home near Library Chowk. His nephew Arjun Kapoor said Tandon began experiencing chest pain and uneasiness around 7pm. “We immediately called the ambulance helpline, but were told the nearest one could reach us only after 2–3 hours. We decided to take him in our own vehicle and informed the local police before heading to the health centre in Landour,” he said. However, traffic, worsened by rain, caused significant delays. “We were stuck near Library Chowk for nearly 40 minutes despite the police escort. Vehicles were coming from all directions, ignoring rules. We kept shouting for help, telling other drivers we had a patient in critical condition, but no one listened. It took over an hour to reach the hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” Kapoor said. He added that an ambulance was parked at the health centre, but staff said it was not part of the 108 network and therefore couldn’t be dispatched. Tandon’s last rites were held in Delhi on Saturday morning. While the family has not filed a complaint, they strongly criticised the town’s chaotic traffic and lack of emergency preparedness, saying, “We don’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate. Authorities must regulate the situation better.” The incident has highlighted not just Mussoorie’s worsening traffic crisis, but also a severe shortage of functional ambulances. Only 32 of the state’s 272 active ambulances operate in the Dehradun region, said officials. An official at the 108 helpline, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “On Thursday night, one ambulance from Mussoorie had gone to Dehradun with a patient, another was in transit, and the one in Jakhan was engaged. The nearest available unit was in Garhi Cantt, which would have taken too long to reach the family. The demand far exceeds our resources.” Even on Saturday, when TOI contacted Mussoorie police, officials were occupied with managing the weekend traffic. “This has become routine, especially on weekends. We are also struggling to manage the surge in visitors,” said a sub-inspector on condition of anonymity. SP (traffic) Lokjeet Singh said additional personnel have been deployed. “A traffic management plan is already in place, including diversions, basement parking, and a one-way exit plan from Old Mussoorie Road. We increase manpower on weekends, and if needed, we will request further reinforcements and implement additional measures,” he said. He added that parking challans are not being issued. Activists have also condemned the lack of infrastructure to support the tourist influx. “A death caused by traffic in one of India’s top tourist cities should be a wake-up call. Authorities must learn from this tragedy and prioritise solutions. With the expressway set to open soon, traffic in Dehradun and Mussoorie will rise sharply. Infrastructure must evolve, not just roads, but emergency services too. It’s not just about the lack of ambulances. In towns with narrow, congested roads, even large vehicles can’t pass. We need innovative alternatives like bike ambulances, and we need them now, before more lives are lost,” social activist Anoop Nautiyal said. Two Union ministers, Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who visited Dehradun in the past week, had both alluded to the region’s traffic woes, suggesting the issue is well known at govt level.