A major safety issue was reported on National Highway 75 near Hassan today after a petrol tanker crashed into a flyover. Fuel spilled out of the tank onto the road on the Kenchattahalli Flyover and onto the road in the vicinity of Hassan on the crowded Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway.
The tanker was carrying petrol when it overturned on the flyover, the preliminary information from the accident chief said. Petrol poured onto the road following the accident, which would raise serious fears of fire or other hazardous events.
The situation became particularly sensitive because of the increasing movement of vehicles on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway. Weekend traffic and the rush of the Gauri-Ganesha festival have also increased the number of vehicles flowing from Bengaluru, Hassan and other parts of coastal Karnataka.
Petrol spills raise the fire risk
The fuel spill on the highway has presented an immediate safety threat. If fuel spreads across the road, even the slightest spark could cause a fire. The risk was more serious because of the temperature and because of the heavy vehicle movement on the highway it was thought.
According to the authorities, police and fire, and emergency personnel rushed to the site as soon as information about the accident was known. There was no stopping officials and vehicles from approaching the tanker and the spilled fuel from getting into the area.
The tanker will also be checked by the authorities and any further leakage or fire risk will have to be considered.
Traffic Halted on Flyover
Following this, the safety threat, traffic on the flyover has been stopped due to the safety threat. The move to prevent motorists from driving near the petrol spill and for emergency personnel to respond safely was made as a precautionary measure to make sure that they stay away from the petrol spill and the petrol spill was not seen as imminent.
The incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Traffic Police Station. Traffic is controlled and the vehicles around it are being reduced and congestion and secondary accidents kept to a minimum.
The temporary closure of the flyover could lead to delays for motorists on the highway between Bengaluru and Mangaluru during the festival and weekends when they are driving to Mangaluru, particularly during the festival and weekend rush.
Heavy Festival Traffic adds to Concern.
The accident comes at a time when traffic on major highways in Karnataka has increased exponentially in the last few months due to the Gauri-Ganesha festival. There are many people going back home and villages to celebrate the festival and traffic on highways is too high as well to make sense because they are traveling to their communities and villages for it.
NH-75 is a key road link connecting Bengaluru to Hassan and towards Mangaluru and other coastal areas. Any disruption to this road can be very bad for long-distance travellers.
The presence of a petrol tanker and the resulting fuel spill makes it particularly sensitive. Emergency teams have to ensure that the spilled petrol is safely managed before normal traffic can resume on the flyover.
Drivers who travel in and around Hassan are advised to be careful and follow instructions from the police, they said. They said drivers should not approach the accident site or enter the areas of fuel has been spilled on the road.
As a result, officials are busy at the site to secure the area, control fuel leakage and get traffic moving again once the route is declared safe.
The exact reason why the tanker overturned has not yet been determined. Police are now investigating what happened and what caused the accident in the first place (the tanker’s movement, road conditions, etc.)
For now, the priority is to prevent a fire or further accident and ensure the safety of motorists and emergency personnel on the Kenchattahalli Flyover.
