HYDERABAD: Commuters from different parts of the city, headed towards Tolichowki, reeled under a heavy traffic jam on Saturday, a day after a massive fire accident took place at an oil storage godown in Tolichowki.
Particularly, the stretch from Mehdipatnam-Tolichowki- Nanal Nagar was packed with honking cars and bikes, slow-moving heavy vehicles, and sweaty crowds, waiting patiently for the red signal to turn green and yet, got caught in the same traffic signal again.
Around 9 am on Saturday, the Hyderabad Traffic police circulated a traffic advisory, announcing certain diversions on the roads to avoid traffic in the area. Commuters traveling from Raidurgam limits (Cyberabad) and moving towards Tolichowki were asked to take the JRC convention road. Similarly, vehicles coming from Film Nagar, 7 tombs, and Shaikpet Nala towards Tolichowki were instructed to take alternate routes via the Film Nagar/Hakimpet route. The Shaikpet flyover was closed at Raidurgam limits.
While police had issued the advisory in the morning, there were many travellers who were caught by surprise by the gridlocked situation on the Mehdipatnam route.
“Aaj itni bheed kyun hai?” sighed one of the motorists, while removing his helmet and turning off his bike’s engine. Several others took to X and uploaded videos of the traffic congestion, calling out the poor traffic management by the police.
However, street vendors near Tolichowki shared, “There is an oil spill up ahead and I heard a couple of motorists skid and fall on the road. Police are trying to manage the traffic.”
Tolichowki traffic inspector Ch Sudhakar Rao said, “The oil storage godown had some 300 barrels of oil and because of the fire, there has been an oil spill on the roads. From Friday night, the traffic personnel have been working on the roads to manage traffic.”
The fire, which started around 9 am on Friday, was finally doused around 6 am on Saturday. “From early in the morning, GHMC has been working on dusting and cleaning the road. The traffic was finally back to free flow around 4 pm,” the inspector shared.
Cause of fire at oil godown yet to be ascertained: Humayun Nagar police
Humayun Nagar police have registered a case regarding a major fire that broke out on Friday evening at an oil godown located in Tolichowki, and are currently investigating the cause of the blaze. According to the police, the godown was closed for the day when the fire erupted, leaving no eyewitnesses. Firefighters battled the flames for over 10 hours, finally bringing the situation under control by Saturday morning. The lubricant oil, being a non-flammable component, caused more dense smoke than the flames. Meanwhile, the residents living close to the godown, who were asked to vacate the premises, occupied their houses after the smoke was cleared. Additionally, an estimated loss of Rs 5 crore was incurred.