A huge panic erupted among the Electronic City commuters on Fri morning when a goods tanker caught fire on the road in the middle of the traffic passing around the site close to the toll plaza on NICE Road.
At 10:30 AM, it broke out in the crowded area where there had been a transient traffic jam and full smoke and flames surrounding the vehicle. Initial signs that the fire was initiated by a short circuit triggered by excess heating and boiling from the tanker's radiator, it is believed that the fire originated from the tanker's radiator.
The authorities said heat produced an electrical problem, which soon sparked flames reaching sections of the vehicle. The tanker driver escaped safely and was uninjured. The driver, who was awake and fled the vehicle on the spot, came to a spot of smoke and other visible flames in the tanker vehicle, authorities said.
An immediate action prevented the hectic road from making the next trip. The crash caused panic among drivers in the Electronic City NICE Road corridor. It is one of Bengaluru‘s busiest roadways linking large parts of the metropolitan area. Drivers suddenly stopped from a short drive while cars went by in a line of traffic as flames rose off the tanker.
They looked in horror. Nearby, thick black smoke caught people's eyes at one point as they passed by townspeople's feet as they saw it. Afterwards, members from the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services, which was affiliated to the Electronic City Division, arrived on the scene of the accident.
The firefighters rushed to the scene first to put out the fire before it grew into a bigger calamity. An elaborate operation quickly put out the blaze. Traffic coming into the toll plaza was hit hard for some time, in a matter of minutes, while emergency responders worked the entire area in a fire in order to protect people and ensure public safety.
Traffic and vehicular safety officers from the Bengaluru Traffic Police came onto the scene to check traffic levels and control vehicles. Authorities are also expected to say the tanker will undergo a technical inspection for the true cause of the fire. Early reports suggest that overheating in the radiator system may very well have set off the short circuit that lit this kind of flame.
It is a problem of growing magnitude, with some heavy vehicles igniting themselves on highways and urban streets. Vehicle experts cite such causes of accidents as a lack of maintenance, overheated engines, an electrical wiring that violates the regulations and a delay in servicing, among others.
Fire safety officials have provided advice to commercial truck owners, advising them to take the time to inspect the road and the equipment on its cooling systems, wiring, fuel lines and electric components to avoid a roadside fire. Owners also have to carry fire extinguishers; they have to stop a vehicle if they see any signs of overheating.
Fortunately, no victims or seriously injured persons were present in Friday’s incident. In a high-traffic area of an already crowded area at a critical time, the driver, firefighters, and police arrived quickly to avoid a bigger calamity.
The case, however, only underscores the need for proper vehicle maintenance and rapid response for any major urban roads in cases of emergency. Authorities would continue surveillance and further warning for heavy commercial vehicles passing through the city’s busy corridors that traverse Bengaluru.
