Gas tanker blast stuns Kerala on Onam eve

Thiruvananthapuram: A gas tanker truck accident late on Monday night sent shock waves in Kerala’s northern Kannur district, spoiling in its wake the warmth and joy associated with the Onam festivities that peak on Wednesday. The accident happened when the tanker lorry hit a road divider, leaked gas and caught fire. It caused a blast that caused fires all around, killing one person, injuring more than three dozen people and causing widespread damage to homes, vehicles and commercial buildings.

The deceased woman was identified as Sreelatha, 47, wife of Kesavan of Sreenilayam, while the condition of about 25 injured people was termed critical. Many of the seriously injured were admitted to the Pariyaram Medical College. Kesavan has also been seriously injured in the fire that was sparked following the accident. The couple was staying close to the accident site.

Two of the injured, Krishnan and Abdul Aziz, reportedly suffered extensive burn injuries and their condition was said to be extremely critical.

Even as the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues were headed to the Chala area where the incident occurred, local people stopped other gas tankers and said they would not permit further plying of such tanker lorries.

Many of those injured have suffered more than 40 per cent burns, which makes their condition critical. Early estimates of the damage to the area state that five houses and about 15 commercial establishments were destroyed in the blast that followed the accident. There was no immediate clarification of the persons in the tanker lorry, but one report said the driver’s cabin was thrown several feet away. There were also unconfirmed reports that the lorry had a Tamil driver and that he was absconding.

As news of the accident spread, people rushed to nearby hospitals through the night. Hospital staff quickly got to work, even as firefighting personnel and local people rushed to help at the accident site. A number of children living in homes close to the accident site also suffered burn injuries.

In the impact of the blast, pieces of the lorry flew in different directions and some of the houses in the vicinity crumbled after catching fire. A number of vehicles parked in the area also caught fire, and extensive damage was also caused to the road. The fire spread to the interior of homes in the vicinity, increasing the extent of damage. A little away from the accident site, another tanker lorry had met with an accident a few days ago, and was yet to be removed from the spot.