A tanker transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was involved in a violent accident at a toll booth in northern India, after the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with the structure.
The incident led to an explosion and a large fire that left five people dead and seven injured.
The accident occurred on the morning of Friday, June 26, at the Sihori toll plaza, located within the limits of the Kokhraj police station, in the district of Kaushambi, state of Uttar Pradesh. According to international media reports, the tanker unit was traveling at high speed on the route that connects the towns of Kanpur and Pratapgarh when the driver tried to overtake another vehicle.
In that maneuver, the truck lost control, hit the central divider of the road and ended up crashing into the toll booth. The blow caused the tank to rupture and a leak of the stored gas, which minutes later led to an explosion and a dense fireball.
Local authorities confirmed the death of five people as a result of the accident. Among the victims is the driver of the unit, identified as Dharmendra Dwivedi, who was trapped inside the vehicle and died at the scene. The rest of the deceased are workers at the toll plaza and people who were in the area at the time of the explosion.
In addition, seven injured people were reported, several of them with serious burns, who received emergency medical attention.
Material damage and response from the authorities
The fire generated after the explosion reached the vehicles that were circulating or stopped in the vicinity of the toll. According to reports, the flames consumed nearly twenty motorcycles and several cars, in addition to causing significant damage to the infrastructure of the toll booth.
Emergency bodies worked for several hours to control the fire and treat the affected people. The authorities cordoned off the area and ordered the temporary closure of the road while the rescue and control efforts of the accident were carried out.
An investigation is currently open to clarify the exact causes of the accident and determine responsibilities, although the first reports point to excessive speed and a passing maneuver as the factors that caused the loss of control of the vehicle.