Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 31: Gas started leaking from a bullet tanker loaded with LPG and parked in front of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd's (HPCL) plant at Bala village near Suratkal on Thursday March 30. Due to timely action by police and fire departments and gas companies, the scary incident passed off without any major catastrophe.
The bullet tanker in question was loaded by gas at HPCL unit before being parked outside the compound of HPCL plant at Kana. At around 7.15 pm on Thursday, the drivers smelt of LPG leakage and began searching for its origin. They found that gas was jetting out of one of the bullet tankers. They immediately alerted the police who in turn contacted Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, HPCL, and Totalgaz units, asking them to rush their emergency teams to the spot.
The HPCL quick response team was in Goa and hence could not conduct the operation. Therefore, a vehicle from Total Gaz Company was brought to the spot and the work of transferring the gas to empty tanker was taken up. By late night, nearly the entire stock of gas got shifted to the other vehicle. As this vehicle was available immediately, it is felt, a tragedy in the making could be averted. Five fire tenders and staff worked continuously from 8 pm till late night to avert any tragedy. Senior police officers visited the spot and ensured that the situation stayed normal and operation continued smoothly.
The magnitude of the tragedy, if it had occurred, would have been huge. Because, in addition to 18 tonnes of gas loaded in the leaking tanker, 13 other tankers filled with LPG were parked near it.
During the operation, power supply was cut off in the region and traffic was banned in the area. People were asked to switch off their cellphones and families living in the vicinity were told not to start any kind of fire for cooking and other purposes.
Normally bullet tankers filled with gas wait here as they are not allowed to move at night. However, police officers found on Thursday that in some of the yards, no proper provision has been made for movement of fire tenders.