Puttur : At least five persons were killed when an LPG tanker proceeding towards Bangalore from the MRPL overturned and caught fire  at Perne near Uppinangady on April 9, Tuesday morning. The tanker had 16000 litres of LPG.

According to sources, the tanker driver, cleaner, a child and a woman in a house nearby were killed in the mishap. Even a Maruti Omni was gutted.

Ten fire tender vehicles from various places including Mangalore, Moodbidri and Bantwal have rushed to the spot and are trying to put out the raging fire. Buildings in a radius of one km have been evacuated. Traffic has also been blocked on either sides of the highway. Long queues of vehicles are seen and the temperature has hotted up in the entire area.

Sources said at least seven houses have been destroyed in the fire.

Details are awaited.