THOOTHUKUDI: Household materials, worth over Rs 6 lakh, transported in a container truck were gutted in fire after the vehicle came in contact with an over-head power cable on the Pasuvanthanai road here on Saturday. The driver of the truck, identified as Selvam (66) of Salem, had a narrow escape as he jumped off the truck as soon as the fire broke out, sources said.
The truck carried the household materials of an onion trader, Ramesh Kumar, who was shifting houses from Virudhunagar to Pasuvanthanai near Kovilpatti. As the top edge of the container came in contact with the power line, all materials kept inside the container, including washing machine and refrigerator, were reduced to ashes, sources added.
Upon information, fire and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire. Following the incident, power supply in the region was disconnected for almost two hours. Meanwhile, the Kovilpatti west police have registered a case in this connection, and investigation is under way.