Jagran Correspondent | Kaushambi: A Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker accidently caught fire due to a leakage at the Kokhraj-Handia Bypass Toll Plaza in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi during the early hours of Friday morning. The tanker, which was stationed at the toll plaza, was completely engulfed in flames, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and triggering panic in the area.
What Happened At The Scene?
Around 6:30 am, the tanker approached the Sirohi toll plaza in the Kokhraj area, when it suddenly caught fire due a leakage. The tanker then spiralled out of control and crashed into a toll booth.
As the tanker collided with the booth, five toll workers present suffered serious burn injurioes, while eight-ten other toll workers managed to escape the booth.
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The injured toll workers have been admitted to the district hospital. They were identified as Hiramani, Alok, Krishna Pal, Atul, and gunman Raju. Several two-wheelers and one or two four-wheelers of the toll workers parked there also got burnt
Police forces from several police stations including Kokhraaj arrived the spot and barricaded an area of about half a kilometer around and stopped the traffic.
What Did Eyewitnesses Say?
Eyewitnesses in the scene claimed the LPG tanker was travelling from Kanpur to Pratapgarh when the accident occurred. According to them, the crash happened while the driver was attempting to overtake another vehicle.
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The tanker was reportedly travelling at around 60–70 kmph when it hit the central divider and overturned. The driver and conductor jumped out of the vehicle and fled the scene immediately after the crash.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Satyanarayan Prajapat said initial information from toll plaza staff claimed that the tanker began leaking gas after the collision. The officer added that the District Supply Officer (DSO) and a technical team have been informed and will investigate the exact cause of the incident.
Further details are awaited.