22 hurt in tanker blast

Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, May 17 (UNI) Twenty-two people were injured, eight of them severely, four shops and a diesel-petrol tanker gutted in a fire that broke out after the vehicle overturned and exploded in a crowded locality in Haldibadi area of Chirmiri town in Chhattisgarh's Koriya district this morning.

Panic spread as the tanker carrying 6,000 ltr diesel and an equal quantity of petrol burst into flames immediately after it overturned due to brake failure, police said.

Part of Haldibadi locality was vacated as a precautionary measure and people clutching valuables were observed running, eyewitnesses said.

Fire tenders of the municipal corporation and South Eastern Coalfields Ltd fought for four hours to contain the blaze, which engulfed a hotel, grocery stone, paan shop and photocopying shop.

The tanker was on its cray to Manendragarh from here.

UNI