Bantwal: An LPG tanker travelling from Mangaluru to Bengaluru overturned after crashing into a road divider near Kadegoli in Thumbe on the national highway around midnight on Saturday, causing a brief disruption to vehicular movement.
The driver, identified as Pappu Chauhan, was temporarily trapped inside the overturned tanker following the accident. However, he miraculously escaped without sustaining any injuries.
The mishap on the busy highway stretch triggered a temporary traffic disruption, following which the Bantwal traffic police rushed to the spot and initiated measures to regulate vehicular movement and prevent a major traffic gridlock.
Tanker crashes into divider
According to available information, the LPG tanker was proceeding from Mangaluru towards Bengaluru when it crashed into the road divider near Kadegoli in Thumbe.
The impact caused the heavy vehicle to overturn on the road. The driver was trapped inside the vehicle for some time after the accident, raising concerns due to the nature of the cargo being transported.
However, Pappu Chauhan managed to escape the mishap without any injuries. No injuries to other motorists or members of the public were reported in connection with the incident.
The accident briefly affected the movement of vehicles along the highway, which witnesses and commuters described as a busy stretch.
Police regulate traffic
A police team led by Bantwal traffic station sub-inspector Adarsh reached the accident site soon after receiving information about the mishap.
The team took necessary measures to manage traffic and prevent congestion as vehicles slowed down near the overturned tanker. Police personnel regulated the movement of vehicles while arrangements were made to remove the tanker from the road.
Their prompt intervention helped ease the traffic situation and ensured that the disruption did not continue for an extended period.
Given that the accident involved an LPG tanker, the removal operation was carried out carefully under supervision before the normal flow of vehicles could be restored.
Crane used to clear overturned tanker
The overturned LPG tanker was later removed from the road with the help of a crane under the supervision of Nagesh Poojary.
The clearance operation allowed authorities to reopen the affected stretch fully to traffic. Once the tanker was moved away from the highway, normal vehicular movement was restored.
The accident once again highlights the need for caution on busy national highway stretches, particularly during late-night hours when heavy vehicles frequently operate between major cities and industrial centres.
Fortunately, the incident did not result in injuries despite the driver being trapped inside the overturned tanker for some time. The timely response by the Bantwal traffic police and the successful removal of the vehicle helped bring the brief traffic disruption under control.
Normal traffic flow was fully restored after the clearance operation was completed.