Tanker carrying chemicals catches fire in Ambala, none hurt

A tanker carrying highly inflammable chemicals caught fire on the Ambala-Rajpura highway here Wednesday after a truck collided with it, bringing vehicular traffic to a standstill for one hour, police said.

No one was injured in the fire which could have led to a major tragedy had the tanker exploded, they said.

The drivers of both the vehicles jumped to safety after the fire broke out, police said.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service to control the fire.

Both the vehicles were on their way to Rajpura in Punjab, they said.

The truck also caught fire and it was completely burnt before the fire tenders reached.

As panic gripped the area in Haryana's Ambala City, police cordoned off the place for some time.

Police said a major tragedy was averted.

If the tanker carrying the chemicals had exploded, it could have to led to a major tragedy," a police official said.

A large number of vehicles including the DelhiLahore bus, was stranded on the highway for some time.

The traffic was restored after the fire was controlled completely.