Lucknow: A potentially disastrous incident was narrowly averted in the state capital when an ethanol-filled tanker, with a capacity of 30,000 liters, overturned on the Lucknow-Kanpur highway early on Sunday, reported Hindusatn Times.
Residents of Sarojini Nagar had a close call as the highly inflammable ethanol spilled, spreading across the entire area. Upon receiving the information, the fire department swiftly reached the site, cordoned off the area, and evacuated several residents. Fire station officer Sumit Pratap Singh of Sarojini Nagar highlighted the quick response, stating, “Within minutes, the residents were requested not to light the LPG gas connection in their homes. Light and high-tension lines of the entire area were also switched off. Firemen went to every house connected to the highway and appealed not to light gas.”
Fire officials attributed the tanker overturning to a small pothole on the road. The tanker, bearing registration number UP 53 BT 6888, was transporting ethanol from Gulharia Sugar Mill, Lakhimpur, to Reliance Depot, Mati, Kanpur Dehat. The incident occurred around 4:56 am near Haj House in Shanti Nagar.
Chief Fire Officer Mangesh Kumar, who also reached the site, explained the response measures, stating, “As soon as the information was received, three firefighting tankers were sent to the spot. Later, firefighting tankers from Alambagh, Chowk, and PGI were also dispatched as a precaution.” Recognizing the gravity of the situation, nearby houses were evacuated, and foam was applied to the spilled ethanol to mitigate the danger.
Approximately 15,000 liters of ethanol out of the tanker’s 30,000-litre capacity were spilled on the road. The incident led to the closure of one lane on the Lucknow-Kanpur highway for 5.5 hours, during which the highway was cleansed using fire engines. Traffic on one side of the road was halted, with firefighters working diligently to upright the overturned tanker using a crane. Water and foam were applied to the scattered ethanol, significantly reducing the risk of fire.
The driver, identified as Anup, provided information that the vehicle belonged to Indian Tankers Gorakhpur, with the owner named Bablu, according to a press note from the Lucknow fire and emergency department.
