Tanker carrying 20,000 litres of ethanol overturns in Sangrur

Fire official Amrinderpal Singh said the tanker, loaded with ethanol, was leaking before the accident. “Ethanol is highly flammable. If a minor spark had occurred, it could have caused a major blaze,” he said.

A tanker carrying 20,000 litres of ethanol overturned on the Mehlan Road bypass along the Sangrur-Patiala national highway on Sunday evening, causing a spill. A major tragedy was averted as police and fire department reacted swiftly, given the ethanol’s highly flammable nature.

A tanker carrying 20,000 litres of ethanol overturned on the Mehlan Road bypass along the Sangrur-Patiala national highway on Sunday evening, causing a spill. (HT File)

Sangrur Sadar station house officer (SHO) Jaswinder Kaur said, “The tanker’s brakes had failed so the driver wasn’t able to control the vehicle. He suffered injuries on his shoulder but is fine now.” She added that a special foam was used to prevent a fire after the mishap.

Fire official Amrinderpal Singh said the tanker, loaded with ethanol, was leaking before the accident. “Ethanol is highly flammable. If a minor spark had occurred, it could have caused a major blaze,” he said.