LPG Tanker Overturns on Coimbatore Flyover, Officials Prevent Major Incident

A tanker carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) overturned on Avinashi Road flyover early Friday, causing a minor gas leak, according to Coimbatore district collector Kranthi Kumar Pati. The incident occurred when the tanker detached from the truck while navigating the flyover's roundabout. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Traffic in the city centre was briefly disrupted due to the accident.

Schools within a 500-meter to one-kilometre radius of the accident site were closed as a safety measure. The truck driver promptly reported the incident, allowing police to quickly arrive at the scene. They halted traffic and prevented a more serious accident, as stated by the collector. Fire service and rescue teams sprayed water on the tanker, which was transporting 18 tonnes of LPG to a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) bottling plant in Ganapathy, Coimbatore from Kochi, Kerala.

Emergency Response and Safety Measures

Due to the LPG load, immediate removal of the tanker was not possible. "Our top priority was to arrest the leak," Pati mentioned. Officials from BPCL, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), industry safety officials, and technical experts arrived at the site to address the situation. Their efforts successfully stopped the leak.

After nearly nine hours of operations, authorities safely removed the LPG tanker from the accident location. This coordinated response ensured that no further incidents occurred, highlighting effective emergency management and collaboration among various agencies in handling such situations efficiently.