A tanker carrying filled gas cylinders overturned near Kannur on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Friday night, briefly blocking the national highway and raising safety concerns in an area surrounded by shops and homes.
According to a report by Prajavani, the tanker was travelling from Mangaluru towards Bengaluru when its driver lost control near the mosque at Kannur at around 10pm. The vehicle fell across the road, while gas cylinders loaded on it spilled onto the highway.
The incident caused concern because the crash occurred close to commercial establishments and a residential settlement. The report did not state whether anyone was injured or whether the tanker or cylinders had leaked. It said the presence of filled cylinders on the carriageway led to a period of heightened concern among people in the vicinity.
Traffic police from the Mangaluru South division, Kankanady police and local residents worked to clear the area. A crane was used to lift the overturned tanker and move it to the side of the road. The cylinders lying on the highway were also shifted away from the traffic corridor.
The operation disrupted movement on the highway for about an hour, leaving vehicles queued on the route. The incident highlights the operational risks created when vehicles carrying hazardous or potentially hazardous loads overturn on busy urban-edge highways, where national road traffic intersects with shops, homes and local access roads.
The report identified loss of control as the immediate cause of the tanker overturning but did not provide further details about the driver, the vehicle’s ownership, the condition of the road, weather conditions or any police case registered in connection with the incident. It also did not report an explosion or fire.
The immediate response focused on removing the tanker and cylinders from the carriageway and restoring traffic. Further details about the cause of the accident, any injuries or property damage, and follow-up action by the police or transport authorities were not available in the supplied report.
