Panic prevails as LPG tanker overturns Guntur, Dec 14 (INN): Panic prevailed for some time at Lakshmi Narasimha Colony on the Visakhapatnam - Chennai National Highway 5 near Mangalagiri in Guntur district on Tuesday after a fully laden Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker overturned, leading to a gas leak. The leaking gas created a sense of panic among the resident and road users. Traffic along the highway came to a standstill, prompting the police to divert vehicles at different points. Efforts to salvage the 16-wheel-tanker soon started with a team of experts from Indian Oil Corporation rushed to the spot. The team started to make efforts to transfer the LPG to another tanker, using an emergency recovery van.
The tanker was heading for Chennai from Visakhapatnam when it lost control and overturned at a sharp curve. However, no one was injured in the incident. According to police, the curve at the spot where the tanker overturned was particularly acute since the Highway is in the process of being upgraded by the National Highways Authorities of India. Sensing trouble, the district authorities asked the Electricity Board to disconnect power supply. The district authorities also evacuated around 200 families from the area to safer places, to ward off any untoward mishaps. The police meanwhile had a tough time managing the traffic as the volume of vehicles on the Highway piled up, adding to the chaos.
News Posted: 14 December, 2010
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