VIJAYAWADA: Tension prevailed in Veeravalli village under Bapulapadu mandal when a chemical-like substance-laden lorry caught fire on the national highway near Vijayawada on Sunday afternoon. The vehicle driver and his assistant had a narrow escape.
According to Bapulapadu police, the incident happened around 1 pm when the lorry from to Kolkata from Chennai suddenly caught fire. The alert driver and cleaner jumped off before the vehicle burnt completely. “We could not ascertain the material that caused the fire. The driver stopped the lorry immediately fled,” said additional director for Fire department D Murali Mohan.