Chennai, Jan 3
A tanker lorry carrying 20 metric tons of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) overturned on the Avinashi flyover in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore during the early hours of Friday.
The tanker was transporting LPG from the Kochi Bharat Petroleum Plant to a storage facility in Coimbatore when the accident occurred. The driver of the vehicle sustained minor injuries.
The overturning caused a gas leak, which has since been brought under control after several hours of operations.
Officials stated that the leak posed a significant risk to residents in the immediate vicinity. As a precaution, five schools in the neighbourhood were closed to ensure the safety of children, and residents within a one-kilometre radius of the accident site were evacuated.
The Avinashi flyover remains closed, and vehicles were rerouted to alternative routes.
Specialised equipment brought from Tiruchy was being used to safely remove the overturned tanker.
Officials noted that the absence of overhead power lines on the flyover helped prevent a major disaster.