CHENNAI: A fire broke out after gas leaked from an underground compressed natural gas (CNG) pipeline belonging to a private company in Manjambakkam near Madhavaram in the early hours of Friday. No casualties were reported. However, a mini truck and two roadside shops were gutted in the blaze. Police said the pipeline was damaged when an excavator used by the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) was engaged in cable-laying work.
The fire broke out around 3 am with thick smoke engulfing the area. More than five fire tender vehicles from Madhavaram, Red Hills and Manali were rushed to the spot. Officials of the gas distribution company also arrived and shut a valve in the pipeline, cutting off the gas supply and enabling firefighters to bring the blaze under control.
Even though the fire was extinguished in more than three hours, the smell of gas lingered in the air. “Safety checks were conducted to ensure that there was no other leak,” a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official said.
The damaged pipeline is part of Chennai’s city distribution network, that supplies natural gas to households, industries and CNG filling stations across the city and its neighbouring areas. Sources said TNPDCL had obtained permission from the state highways department before commencing cable-laying work. The pipeline was struck while the excavator was digging the road, they added.