3 killed as gas tanker overturns, catches fire in Jharkhand

Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Dec 26 (PTI) Three people have been charred to death and one seriously injured after a gas tanker overturned, fell into a ditch and caught fire beside National Highway 2 in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district, police said on Sunday.

The impact of the fire, which is yet to be doused completely, was so severe that the police sealed the area within 10 km radius of the accident spot, and diverted traffic between Kolkata and Delhi through various routes, a senior officer said.

The accident took place when the driver was negotiating a sharp turn at Dhanua Bhanua Ghati in Chouparan police station area on Saturday night, Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chouthe said.

The Bihar-bound tanker coming from Dhanbad hit the railing of a bridge on National Highway 2, and fell into a 15-feet ditch and caught fire, the SP said.

Three people including the driver died on the spot, while the condition of one person is stated to be serious, he said, adding that the injured person is undergoing treatment in neighbouring Bihar.

The impact of the fire was so severe that overhead high-tension wires over the accident site got burnt, and four approaching vehicles including a trailer, a truck and a dumper also caught fire, the officer said.

Nearby business establishments including roadside eateries have been emptied following the accident. PTI COR SBN ACD ACD