2 killed, over 50 injured in blast after LPG tanker, pickup truck collide in Hoshiarpur

The sudden explosion on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway around 10 pm engulfed nearby shops and residences, trapping villagers, many of them already asleep.

A collision between an LPG tanker and a pickup truck on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway near Mandiala village on Friday night triggered a massive blast, killing two people and injuring over 50.

Rescue teams from the fire department and police rushed the injured to civil hospitals across Adampur, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar. (HT)

The sudden explosion around 10 pm engulfed nearby shops and residences, trapping villagers, many of them already asleep, leaving little time to escape.

Rescue teams from the fire department and police rushed the injured to civil hospitals across Adampur, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar.

Villagers, shaken by the loud thud of the blast, scurried to save their lives as flames spread rapidly, fuelled by the LPG and wind. Relatives of the injured scrambled between hospitals to find their loved ones.

Eyewitnesses told police that the tanker caught fire after a Mahindra pickup vehicle rammed into it. The driver of the pickup, who remains unidentified, succumbed to burn injuries after his vehicle caught fire.

Gurmukh Singh, one of the injured, said six members of his family suffered burn injuries after their house, situated near the accident site, caught fire. “Our whole house was gutted in the fire as we didn’t get enough time to save ourselves,” he said.

Hoshiarpur civil surgeon Pawan Kumar confirmed, “One person has been declared dead here, while five patients have been brought in critical condition. Immediate medical care is being provided to all injured. The civil and police administration have initiated the rescue operation. Several ambulances have been rushed to the spot.”

Senior officials of the district administration rushed to the spot, and fire tenders were brought in from Jalandhar, Adampur and Hoshiarpur to tackle the blaze. Punjab parliamentary affairs minister Dr Ravjot Singh also visited the mishap site and hospital. He promised all possible help to affected families.

Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said teams from Adampur air base, Unchi Bassi army cantonment and State Disaster Response Force had been called in to assist with the rescue operation. “A road accident between an LPG tanker and a pickup vehicle led to a fire, resulting in the catastrophic incident,” Jain said.