COIMBATORE: An LPG tanker carrying 18 tonnes of gas overturned on a flyover in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district on Friday after becoming detached from its truck, causing a minor leak. Local authorities swiftly responded, preventing a potential disaster.
The tanker driver, who sustained only minor injuries, immediately alerted the fire and rescue department. Emergency teams arrived promptly and began spraying water on the tanker to control the leak. “The leak has been fully contained,” confirmed Kranti Kumar Pati, the District Collector.
To ensure safety, officials cordoned off the flyover and diverted traffic while emergency operations were underway. The tanker was successfully removed within four hours, and traffic was restored to normal. As a precaution, the district declared a holiday for approximately 35 schools within a 500-meter to one-kilometer radius of the incident site.
The tanker, en route from Kochi in Kerala to a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) LPG bottling plant in Coimbatore, was carrying 18 tonnes of LPG. Coimbatore City Police Commissioner A. Saravana Sundar provided further details about the tanker’s contents.
Upon receiving the alert, police and fire service personnel quickly reached the scene. Due to the hazardous nature of the LPG cargo, authorities prioritized containing the leak before attempting to remove the tanker. “Since the tanker was loaded with LPG, it could not be lifted immediately. Our first priority was to stop the leak,” said District Collector Pati.
Officials from BPCL, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), industrial safety experts, and technical teams also participated in the operation, ensuring the situation was handled safely.
