Mangalapuram on the outskirts of the State capital faced tense moments when a tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) overturned on Sunday, prompting the authorities to sound an alert and redirect traffic from the National Highway (NH) 66 for several hours.
The incident involved an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) gas tanker en route from Kochi to Tirunelveli, which overturned around 4 a.m. The mishap occurred as the heavy vehicle navigated a service road covered in loose soil during heavy rainfall. Due to the ongoing development work on the NH, vehicles had been rerouted through this service road. The driver, who hails from Namakkal, escaped unhurt.
Police and fire brigade units reached the spot around 7.30 a.m., swiftly cordoning off the area and issuing alerts within a radius of around one km. While IOC officials ruled out any gas leakage, local residents, restaurants and other commercial outlets were advised to refrain from using gas stoves and inverters as a precautionary measure.
Traffic diversions were implemented on the NH between the CRPF junction at Pallippuram and Mangalapuram.
The process of transferring gas to alternative tankers commenced around 2 p.m. However, the effort faced obstacles after two tankers were filled. The authorities had to lift the overturned vehicle using a crane to resume the operation that progressed into the late hours of the day.
