A major mishap was narrowly averted on National Highway 19 in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, after a diesel tanker overturned near the Jahanabad Flyover on Sunday evening. However, scenes that followed the accident alarmed authorities as villagers gathered in large numbers to collect leaking diesel.
According to officials, the tanker, travelling from Gujarat to Kolkata, lost control and overturned around 5 pm near the flyover under the jurisdiction of Hathigawan police station. The driver, identified as Vimal Singh, a resident of Vaishali district, sustained minor injuries in the accident. Fortunately, no other vehicles were hit, preventing a potentially fatal collision.
Videos that surfaced on Monday showed hundreds of villagers rushing to the accident site and collecting diesel that had pooled in roadside drains and potholes. People were seen carrying buckets, cans, and bottles, ignoring safety risks while gathering the highly flammable fuel. Authorities expressed concern that such reckless actions could have triggered a major fire or explosion.
Police, fire brigade personnel, and highway authority teams rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the incident. Efforts to remove the overturned tanker were initiated using a hydra machine. Despite the presence of police, some individuals reportedly continued to collect diesel secretly.
