Truck carrying LPG cylinders to Bageshwar develops technical snag; turns into raging ball of fire
A truck carrying flammable LPG cylinders was hit by a technical flaw in the engine and burst into flames. The truck was carrying the cylinders from Indane godown in Haldwani’s Halduchaur and was at Jeolikot near Nainital when the accident happened. The explosion caused the cylinders debris to fall far and wide. Given the danger, about one and a half dozen families have been removed from the accident site.
The fire brigade and the police team reached the spot immediately after the fire alert, but no one was able to control the flames. The blasting cylinders and heavy flames of fire have caused heavy damage to the bridge. All the movement of vehicles on the NH road has been halted for one week after looking at the danger. In this accident, the truck driver-helper and a passenger got scorched. All three have been sent to BD Pandey Hospital Nainital after primary treatment in Gethia sanatorium.
On Monday, Hari Chawla’s truck carrying the cylinders left from from Halduchaur plant for Kapkot Bageshwar. At around 11 o’clock in the morning, the truck had reached the Birbhatti Bridge 1.5 km ahead of Jeolikot when suddenly a smoke in the truck engine started rising. The driver and the helper tried to douse the fire but to no avail and also got burnt in the process. Soon the whole truck was on fire and with fully loaded LPG it was a calamity waiting to happen. The noise was heard till the Nainital Collectorate, inducing panic among the people.
NH officials instructed to close the movement for a week after the inspection of the bridge. After the inspection of IIT Roorkee experts, the decision on the movement of vehicles on the bridge will be decided. For the next one week vehicles will be sent to Almora via Bhimtal, Bhawali .
