MALAPPURAM: Panic gripped Chelari and surrounding areas after a gas tanker overturned at Panambra on National Highway on Friday. The tanker developed leakage soon after the mishap.
Fire and Rescue personnel from Meenchanda, Tirur, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram and Manjeri rushed to the spot and managed to avert fire outbreak by spraying water to the gas tanker. Police issued an alert not to use fire and electricity and evacuated residents from a house belonging to the 500-metre radius of the accident spot. Electricity was tripped and the road was blocked by diverting traffic. All vehicles to Kozhikode and Thrissur sides were asked to take a diversion.
The capsule gas tanker, owned by Indian Oil Corporation, was heading towards Kochi from Mangaluru. And it met with the accident by 7 am Sunday while tanker driver lost control while negotiating a curve at Panambra, which is among the black spots on National Highway.
Experts from the company arrived at the spot by 9 pm and they started shifting gas to new two tankers.
A statement by District Fire Officer Moosa Vadakkethil said the leakage will take more than six hours to be completely plugged after LPG is shifted to new tankers.