ONGOLE: One hundred gas cylinders exploded when a truck that is transporting them caught fire at Daddavada village outskirts in Kommarolu Mandal of Prakasam district in the early hours of Friday. However, there were no casualties.
A truck bearing number plates - AP21-PY3476 with 306 gas cylinders was on its way to Ulavapadu in Prakasam district from Kurnool, when the accident happened.
According to police, truck driver Mohan Raj, who noticed the fire in the engine (suspected due to a short circuit), tried to put it off but couldn't. The driver immediately stopped the vehicle on the roadside on the outskirts of Daddavada village and ran away.
After going half a kilometre away from the truck, Mohan alerted the police about what was being transported in the truck. Immediately acting on the information, police stopped the vehicular traffic one km away on both sides from the spot, where the truck was parked. Further, families within three hundred feet radius of the truck were evacuated immediately, which prevented any casualties.
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Meanwhile, the gas cylinders exploded, frightening the people in the surrounding villages. By that time, firefighters from Giddaluru along with police rushed to the spot. After seven hours of effort, the situation was brought under control. Marakapuram DSP Kishore Kumar, Giddaluru CI Firoz, Kamba CI Rajesh Kumar, Komarolu SI Sambaiah, Giddaluru SI Brahma Naidu, and others led their teams in rescue efforts.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, as there were no casualties and no property damage, barring the destruction of the truck that caught fire.