MALAPPURAM: People in Chelari and surrounding areas were a concerned lot on Friday after a gas tanker overturned at Panambra on National Highway 66 in the early hours. The capsule tanker developed a leak soon after the mishap.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts rushed to the spot and managed to avert fire by spraying water. The police issued an alert against lighting fires and using electricity, evacuating residents from houses within a 500-metre radius. Electricity was tripped and traffic was diverted.
Traffic on the 19-km NH stretch between Ramanattukara and Kolappuram came to a standstill after vehicles to Kozhikode and Thrissur directions were asked to take diversions.Following hours-long salvaging operations, experts from the Indian Oil Corporation shifted the LPG to seven tankers brought from IOC’s filling unit at Chelari.
The tanker was heading to the Chelari unit from Mangaluru. The accident occurred around 3 am as the tanker driver lost control while negotiating a curve at Panambra, one of the notorious spots on NH.
District fire officer Moosa Vadakkethil who - along with Kozhikode district fire officer T Rajeesh - led the salvaging operations, said they managed to set everything in order by 5 pm.
The officers kept spraying water for hours to keep the LPG below the flammable limit. “We didn’t need evacuation. Alertness and timely intervention of rescue operators negated the possibility of any untoward incident,” Moosa said.
Bravehearts
A total of 81 officers along with 13 units from Malappuram, Perinthalmanna, Manjeri, Tirur, Meenchanda, Koyilandy, Kozhikode Beach, Mukkam and Vellimadukunnu took part in the operations. Two water tankers were also put into service.