One was killed after an LPG tanker overturned at Rahud Ghat near Chandwad Taluka on the Mumbai-Agra national highway in Nashik district of Maharashtra, causing a gas leak and triggering panic among locals on Monday night. However, no one was injured in the incident. Efforts to plug the gas leak have been going on for the last 15 hours, an official told the news agency PTI, adding that traffic on the highway has been diverted.
Vehicles going to Malegaon from the highway were diverted via Manmad, while traffic coming from Malegaon was closed between Chinchwe and Umrane. A rescue team from Manmad, Sinnar, was rushed to the site to stop the gas leak from the ill-fated Bharat Gas Tanker, according to the FPJ report.
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The incident occurred when the tanker was travelling on the slope of the Rahud Ghat on Monday night, and hit the trailer, which was parked on the roadside. At the same time, a car coming from the opposite direction also crashed into the tanker, after which gas leakage began from the tanker.
The smell of the gas created panic among drivers and residents in the area. Officials rushed to the spot, stopped the traffic on both sides and diverted it to another route. The gas leakage continued till Tuesday morning. BPCL company officials informed restaurants and dhabas near the highway to take precautions and use a face mask.
Traffic on the Mumbai-Agra highway was diverted, said Chandwad Tehsildar Mandar Kulkarni. He said vehicles coming from Dhule district have been diverted to Chandwad via Manmad, while vehicles going from Nashik have been diverted to Chandwad-Manmad-Dhule, reported FPJ.