ARIYALUR: A lorry carrying hundreds of LPG cylinders overturned and exploded on the Attur–Thanjavur National Highway (NH 136) on Tuesday morning, resulting in a massive fireball and a series of blasts that shook the surrounding area. Approximately 80 cylinders exploded in the incident, which occurred near Varanavasi in Ariyalur district.
The driver, identified as P Kanagaraj (34), a resident of Inam Kulathur village in Tiruchy district, sustained facial and head injuries and was admitted to the Ariyalur Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.
According to police, Kanagaraj was transporting 359 gas cylinders each weighing 14 kg and 14 cylinders weighing 5 kg each from an LPG bottling plant in Inam Kulathur to a private distributor in Ariyalur. After parking the lorry at the Kallagam Toll Plaza overnight, he resumed his journey early Tuesday morning. The accident occurred at around 6.45 am when he lost control of the vehicle and the lorry’s wheels slipped into a roadside pit, causing it to overturn completely.
Local residents rushed to the aid of the injured driver and taken him to the hospital by a 108 ambulance service. The impact of the overturn reportedly triggered explosions among the gas cylinders nearly ten minutes after the driver had been taken from the scene. Around 80 cylinders exploded one after another, sending some flying into the air and causing vibrations that were felt up to 2 km away.
Upon receiving information, the Keelapalur Police and fire and rescue teams from across the district rushed to the scene. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly two hours before bringing it under control. The lorry was completely damaged, but fortunately, no fatalities were reported.
Traffic diverted
Minister for Transport and Electricity SS Sivasankar, District Collector P Rathinasamy, and Ariyalur Superintendent of Police Vishwesh Balasubramaniam Shastri visited the site and inspected the situation. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for more than two hours, with vehicles from Thanjavur, Tiruchy, and Ariyalur diverted through V Kaikatti and Poyyur Section Road for safety.
A senior police officer from Ariyalur later clarified the cause of the accident, stating, “Rumors about stray dogs crossing the road are false. The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle. The driver was unaware of the explosions, as they occurred nearly ten minutes after he had been taken to the hospital. We later informed him about the incident. No major damage occurred apart from the lorry and the cylinders. Cleaning work is currently underway.”