'I heard him scream and saw he was on fire' - paramedics tell inquest of desperate attempts to save patient after oxygen tank exploded

"An ambulance parked outside the emergency department at Naas General Hospital exploded into a fireball within the space of four to six seconds killing an elderly patient in the rear of the vehicle, an inquest has heard."

"Christopher Byrne (79), a widower and father of five from Ard Brid, Suncroft, Co Kildare, suffered fatal injuries as flames engulfed the ambulance around lunchtime on September 22, 2016."

An ambulance parked outside the emergency department at Naas General Hospital exploded into a fireball within four to six seconds while stationary, resulting in a fatality. The rapid ignition and spread of flames left minimal time for evacuation from the rear of the vehicle. The victim, Christopher Byrne, was 79 years old, a widower and father of five from Ard Brid, Suncroft, County Kildare. He suffered fatal injuries when the ambulance became engulfed in flames around lunchtime on 22 September 2016. The incident produced a single confirmed death at the scene.

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