Five vehicles were burnt in a blaze early Sunday on the Yamuna Expressway, injuring three men after a tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exploded as it was speeding behind another tanker which was already on fire, police said.
The first tanker had caught fire after its capsule punctured as it brushed a past a truck in an overtaking manoeuvre.
The accident involving the two tankers, a truck and two cars about 30 km from Mathura disrupted traffic on the expressway for almost five hours before it was restored at 6 am on Sunday.
“The incident occurred at 1.20 am when a LPG tanker tried to overtake a truck while coming from Noida. While overtaking, the tanker brushed against truck that caused leakage in the capsule containing LPG which sparked the fire and engulfed the truck too,” Mahendra Kumar, the in-charge of Sureer police station of Mathura said.
“Another tanker which was following the one on fire and the truck also caught fire and exploded. Two of four wheelers which were coming on the wrong side on the same track were also engulfed in the fire. In all five vehicles were destroyed in the explosion and fire,” Kumar said.
“Three of the men travelling in two of the four cars suffered about 30% burn injuries and were admitted to a hospital in Mathura and are under treatment. Fire tenders were called and pressed into action but had to struggle for dousing the fire in the tankers,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Three of the men travelling in two of the four cars suffered about 30% burn injuries and were admitted to a hospital in Mathura and are under treatment. Fire tenders were called and pressed into action but had to struggle for dousing the fire in the tankers,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Locals said a house near the accident site was also damaged and the fire was spread across an area of 200 metres.
The drivers of the two tankers and the truck absconded after the accident.
Police said the blaze also spread after bales of bajra (millet) kept along the expressway caught fire.