Mishap averted as LPG tanker develops leak

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT. 2. The city had a touch and go affair with a major disaster when an LPG tanker carrying 12,000 litres of cooking gas developed a leak in a freak accident, near Chandrayangutta, this morning. What could have been a potential threat to thousands of people living on the outer ring road was, however, averted with the police swinging into action.

Panic gripped Ghazi Millat colony, parts of Chandrayangutta and Phoolbagh areas, as residents moved to safer areas, after the police alerted them about the leak around 1 a.m. The axle of the vehicle, on its way to the Hindustan Petroleum filling station at Cherlapally from Bangalore, broke and hit the outlet valve, which broke resulting in the leakage.

The driver jumped out and shut the engine off before alerting a police patrol vehicle. As frantic wireless messages were flashed, all officers and men on night duty were summoned to the place and the road stretch between Mahabubnagar crossroads on the National Highway and Chandrayangutta was sealed. Traffic diversions were announced at the highway as well as Chandrayangutta side.

``We did not know what to do. An explosion involving 12,000 litres of LPG would be catastrophic. We called the fire services, but they too were helpless,'' the Assisstant Commissioner of Police, Mr Hamid Ali Khan, said. We had to avoid loss of life at any cost, he added. The best way was to alert the people and as the police patrol vehicles began making announcements, panic spread. People were asked not to either switch off or switch on the electricity lamps for fear of triggering an explosion. People rushed out of their houses and ran to safe distances.

Even as the people were alerted, the police were trying to get in touch with the cooking gas company officials at Cherlapally, but in vain. When they called up Mr. Shailendar on the listed cooking gas emergency number, he offered to locate the officials and pass on information. The authorities reached the spot at 3 a.m. and set things right by 6 a.m.

It was only after the tanker was then towed to Cherlapally filling station around 6 a.m. the people heaved a sigh of relief and the road was opened for normal traffic again.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : 11 militants killed, five jawans injured
Next     : Pinto's trial clubbed with others in urea scam