Kashmir highway closed down following gas tanker leak

Ramban, Jan 27 (ANI): Authorities averted a major tragedy here by shutting down a highway in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday after Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) leaked from a tanker.

An alert passer-by witnessed the leakage of highly inflammable LPG from a tanker belonging to the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) at about 1.30 pm in Ramban and informed the local police.

Fire tenders and local officials immediately stopped traffic on both sides of the highway and rushed to the site of gas leak.

Fire service personnel tried to reduce the effects of the leak by covering the tanker from outside with foam and water.

"At our level, we have tried to mix foam and spray it like a blanket over the vehicle which has reduced the leakage from 90 percent to 50 percent. So, there is now a difference in the level of danger, but the leakage can be completely stopped only after experts come," said Mohammad Kasim Bajran, Deputy Director, Fire and Emergency Services.

The highway remained shut for over nine hours, as experts were specially flown from HPCL plant in Jammu to fix the leakage.

Experts tried transferring the remaining gas in to another tanker but did not achieve much success and allowed the fuel to leak.

"We have urged police officials and fire tenders personnel to make sure that no one lights up a fire in the range of one kilometre from the vehicle," said A. K. Singh, a HPCL plant manager from Jammu.

The authorities have urged residents and shopkeepers to vacate the area until the salvage operation is finished. (ANI)