<p>A truck, carrying around 300 cooking gas cylinders, exploded into a huge ball of fire near a village on Murbad-Mhasa road here, police said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The incident took place last night around 9.45 PM at an isolated place when locals of Bhatichi Wadi village heard thunderous explosions from a far-off spot, as the truck was proceeding to Murbad from Alibaug, SHO S V Dumada told PTI.<br /><br />The fire began after the driver of the truck Somnath Wagh (48) saw smoke emanating from the engine of the vehicle, and tried to contain the spark but later made a miraculous escape after the flames began to spread rapidly triggering the cylinder blasts.<br /><br />Soon after the incident, Deputy SP of Murbad Nagesh Vhatkar and Police Inspector Murbad Ashok Amle besides, more than half a dozen fire engines rushed to the scene to fight the inferno.<br /><br />The truck was reduced to ashes but there was no loss of life due to the explosion, police added.<br /><br />However, panic and chaos gripped the village when the cylinders began exploding one by one igniting a massive fire, which lasted for three hours.<br /><br />Dumada said a case of accident has been registered and further probe is underway.</p>
<p>A truck, carrying around 300 cooking gas cylinders, exploded into a huge ball of fire near a village on Murbad-Mhasa road here, police said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The incident took place last night around 9.45 PM at an isolated place when locals of Bhatichi Wadi village heard thunderous explosions from a far-off spot, as the truck was proceeding to Murbad from Alibaug, SHO S V Dumada told PTI.<br /><br />The fire began after the driver of the truck Somnath Wagh (48) saw smoke emanating from the engine of the vehicle, and tried to contain the spark but later made a miraculous escape after the flames began to spread rapidly triggering the cylinder blasts.<br /><br />Soon after the incident, Deputy SP of Murbad Nagesh Vhatkar and Police Inspector Murbad Ashok Amle besides, more than half a dozen fire engines rushed to the scene to fight the inferno.<br /><br />The truck was reduced to ashes but there was no loss of life due to the explosion, police added.<br /><br />However, panic and chaos gripped the village when the cylinders began exploding one by one igniting a massive fire, which lasted for three hours.<br /><br />Dumada said a case of accident has been registered and further probe is underway.</p>