KOZHIKODE: A bullet gas tanker carrying LPG from Mangaluru overturned on the Thondayad-Pooladikunnu bypass at Mokavoor in the early hours of Sunday causing panic.
According to a Vellimadukunnu fire station officer, the IOC tanker proceeding to the bottling plant at Chelari overturned near the Kamburath temple around 3.30 am. Officers said the driver became drowsy and lost control of the vehicle after hitting a car. There was panic among local residents, and the police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel from various units rushed to the spot to prevent any untoward incident. The tension eased only when officers confirmed there was no leakage of gas from the tanker. The overturned tanker was lifted by a crane and was put on its wheels by 9 am. Traffic was blocked along the bypass road for close to six hours. District Collector U V Jose, DCP P B Rajeev and other officers also inspected the spot.
Tanker driver Thankaraj, 49 and cleaner Prasanth, 24, who suffered minor injuries in the mishap, were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Accident history
May, 2016: A tanker lorry overturned at Valanchery on the Kozhikode-Palakkad national highway
Dec, 2015: A major mishap was averted after a resident informed the police an LPG tanker had developed a snag on the West Hill bypass road
Sept, 2015: Three persons were injured after an LPG tanker overturned after colliding with a mini lorry at Madapally near Vadakara