Bantwal: A gas tanker overturns at Soorikumeru near Kalladka in the taluk on national highway 75 at around 1 am on Tuesday April 19, and resulted in a gas leak and several houses in the vicinity have been evacuated.

It is said that over speeding led to the accident. The tanker was going to Bengaluru after filled LPG at MRPL Mangaluru, when the driver lost control at a turn and the tanker toppled.

Residents woke up to a loud noise when the tanker toppled. Gas began to leak soon after the accident. The locals alerted the fire personnel and the police who rushed to the spot and took preventive measures.

The accident also resulted in a traffic jam. The police had a tough time negotiating traffic. Vehicles moving towards Puttur from Mangaluru were diverted at Kalladka and sent via Veerakmbha-Anantady-Kodaje while those vehicles arriving to Mangaluru were diverted through Vittal. Those vehicles arriving from Uppinangady were diverted towards Anantady-Veerakmbha.

As many as 70 fire personnel from Pandeshwar, Kadri, Puttur and Mangaluru worked to prevent any disaster. The residents were sent to safer places.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel said people staying in the houses in the vicinity called the fire station and informed about the incident. The fire engine reached the spot in nearly 15 minutes and the personnel saw heavy leakage of LPG. As personnel poured water over the leaking LPG and dilute it, eight more fire engines were sent to the spot to keep the operation going. Chief Fire Officer G. Shashidhar too arrived at the spot to oversee the operations.

There were anxious moments for the residents as fire broke out in a hotel, 150 meters away from the spot, just after the tanker overturned. A team of firemen went to the hotel and put off the fire noticed in the kitchen of the hotel.

To prevent any mishap from the leakage, announcements were made asking residents of as many as 100 families in the vicinity to move away to safe locations. They were asked to not light any stove. The police arranged to move out residents from their houses from 4 a.m.

The Quick Response Vehicle of the Hindustan Petroleum stationed in Gundiya reached the spot around 1 a.m. But they were not in a position to plug the leaking LPG. It was around 9 a.m., the leaking LPG bullet tanker turned empty. The personnel from the QRV and the Total Gas then restored the position of the tanker. Traffic movement was restored around 12 p.m.

Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S.D. said timely action by police and fire and emergency personnel helped in averting a major fire incident. Police are verifying why the vehicle was plying at a time when there was bar on such movement between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Driver and other personnel related to transport of LPG will be made liable.