Gas leak from LPG tanker sparks panic in Kerala

Panic gripped people here after gas leaked from an LPG tanker which overturned and fell on a stationary autorickshaw killing its driver, before experts temporarilly plugged it some five hours after the mishap.
In view of the LPG tanker tragedy at Chala in neighbouring Kannur district in 2012, which claimed the lives of 20 people in an inferno, officials have taken all precautionary measures to avert a similar situation.
After diverting traffic and evacuating people living in a radius of 500 metres near the accident spot at Chungam here, Indian Oil Corporation technical experts managed to plug the leakage temporarily, District Collect C A Latha said tonight.

An alternative tanker was on its way here and the liquified petroleum gas in the ill fated tanker would be transferred to it, IOC officials said.
The mishap occurred when driver of the gas tanker lost control while negotiating a curve and it fell on the autorickshaw parked on the roadside. The driver and cleaner fled the scene even as a gas leak occurred.
Five fire tenders continuously sprayed water on the tanker to keep it cool while as a precautionary measure power supply in the area was disconnected.

Top government officials, including the District Collector, ADGP (North Zone) N Sankar Reddy and City Police Commissioner A V George, supervised the operations to plug the leak and retrieve the tanker.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said there was no need for anxiety as all precautionary measures have been made.
This is the second incident involving an LPG tanker in Kerala this year. In January, an LPG tanker caught fire in Kallyasseri in Kannur after it was hit by another vehicle. However, nobody was injured in the accident.