A major road accident on National Highway 48 near MK Hubballi in Karnataka's Belagavi district resulted in a massive fire that engulfed two heavy vehicles and caused panic among drivers and residents. A milk tanker and a lorry laden with maize were heavily damaged in the incident, but neither driver was injured and escaped from the crash in a much worse way.
The milk tanker was going towards Belagavi along the Kittur route when it collided with a lorry with hundreds of bags of maize, the Transport Department said. Local authorities have started an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Witnesses said the impact was very strong and both of them were badly damaged. Just seconds after the collision, a fire broke out in the maize-laden lorry. The fast-burning cargo quickly stoked the flames and spread quickly, and took over the whole vehicle. The smoke could be seen from miles away and was also seen from as far as the eyes of travellers and residents.
The fire spread fast and burned more than 500 bags of maize as soon as the lorry loaded them. Fire also broke out in parts of the milk tanker and caused extensive damage to both vehicles. Witnesses reported loud cracking sounds, and the fire rained all over the cargo and the vehicle.
Both drivers were able to escape from the accident and the intense fire in time and had a strong sense of presence of mind. Their quick reaction was believed to have saved them both, as fire had already started to spread fast after the accident. Neither driver was seriously injured, but both were shaken up, said the officials.
From the time the accident was reported, fire and emergency services officials and local police officers arrived on the scene. Firefighters worked to put the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to the highway or other vehicles passing by. The fire was extinguished quickly, but most of the maize cargo had been burned to ash after a long operation.
Police officials began an initial inspection of the accident site and started tracking down evidence to establish the exact sequence of events. The amount of losses from the cargo loss and vehicle damage is also being looked at, officials said. Traffic was restored after emergency crews completed rescue and firefighting operations.
We are reminded of the dangers of driving at highway speeds and road safety. The car crash resulted in heavy damage, but the two drivers escaped with no injury. In such a case, it could have been a devastating accident on one of Karnataka’s busiest highways.
