Representative image of LPG cylinders.
Credit: DH File Photo
Chennai: A tanker with 18 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) detached from a truck on a flyover in Coimbatore in the wee hours of Friday, leading to a minor gas leak. The incident prompted district authorities to declare a holiday for 37 educational institutions in the vicinity of the accident spot and ask people living there to be on high alert.
The incident took place at around 3.15 am on the old flyover on Avinash Road when the truck negotiated a turn at the roundabout leading to detachment of the tanker. The tanker was transporting LPG from Kochi in Kerala to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) LPG bottling plant in Coimbatore.
The tanker fell onto the flyover, causing gas leakage from its rear end following which the truck driver alerted the fire and rescue services. The incident created panic among residents in the central part of Coimbatore, but police said there was nothing to worry.
The old flyover was closed for traffic with police diverting vehicles through a different route. “There is nothing to worry about. We have taken all precautions. Only as a safety measure, we declared a holiday for schools in the vicinity. We are also exploring the option of transferring the LPG from the large tanker to smaller ones to ensure there is no further leak,” Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati said.
Coimbatore City Police Commissioner A Saravana Sundar said a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also expected to reach the accident spot soon.