Panic ensued as a chemical-laden tanker overturned and ignited on National Highway 458 in Rajasthan. The intense blaze, visible from a distance of two kilometers, led to the closure of the highway to avert further incidents. The tanker, near Kunjal Mata Temple, lost control while turning, resulting in the fiery mishap.
Authorities swiftly shut down the highway in both directions following the incident. The driver, Lukman Khan from Barmer district, narrowly escaped by breaking the cabin glass and leaping out before the fire spread. The Surpalia police station’s Station House Officer, Suman Chaudhary, mentioned the chaos caused by the fire on the highway, necessitating the halting of vehicles and the deployment of fire tenders.
Firefighters from Nagaur Municipal Council and neighboring areas rushed to the scene upon notification. It took nearly two hours of relentless firefighting to tame the flames due to the chemical cargo’s combustible nature. The tanker, transporting Amike chemical from Gandhidham to Sonipat, was completely destroyed in the fire, with six ambulances on standby as a precaution.
The driver’s loss of control while evading a trailer during an overtaking maneuver led to the accident. Fortunately, the absence of nearby vehicles averted a potential catastrophe. The fire’s visibility from afar attracted attention from surrounding villages, but after extinguishment, traffic gradually resumed on the highway.
