Karnataka - Hassan   

Tanker overturns, gas leak triggers panic

Staff Correspondent

HASSAN: Traffic on NH-48 was blocked for more than 24 hours, as a gas tanker going to Bangalore from Mangalore overturned near Jodighatte village in Channarayapatna taluk, after it rammed an autorickshaw on Tuesday. Auto driver Jagadish (23) died on the spot.

The cooking gas in the tanker started leaking and it sparked anxiety among the villagers.

The police rushed to the spot and tried to plug the leak, with the help of fire tenders. They summoned experts from Mangalore and Mysore to attend to the problem.

Superintendent of Police Panduranga Rane told The Hindu that they had flushed the area with water immediately and transferred the gas into two empty tankers. Cranes were used to lift the overturned tanker.

Traffic diverted

The police blocked the road from either side and diverted the traffic through Shanthigrama. Vehicles lined up on the road for a stretch of nearly 3 km. Mr. Rane said that as Hassan had a "tapping point" of Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals, the authorities were duty-bound to set up an emergency unit to attend to problems of the kind.

He said he had spoken to the authorities concerned in this regard.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Elephant attacks spread fear in Malnad region
New DCC chief set to revive party in Hassan
Tanker overturns, gas leak triggers panic

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu