Navi Mumbai: A tanker carrying palm oil overturned and caught fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli on Saturday afternoon, trapping its driver inside the cabin. The driver was rescued without serious injuries after a swift joint operation by the police, highway traffic personnel, fire brigade and emergency response teams.
Low-Grade Palm Oil Was Not Flammable, Say Police
The oil being transported in the tanker was of low grade and was not flammable, police said. According to the driver, however, the tanker’s brakes were not functioning, causing the vehicle to heat up before it overturned. He claimed that one of the tyres caught fire first, following which the flames spread to the tanker’s chamber and then to the cabin.
Khopoli Police Inspector Sachin Hire said the driver was fortunate to escape without serious injuries. “The driver was trapped inside the cabin, but he was rescued safely and did not suffer any serious injuries. We are registering a case against him for rash driving and for causing danger to his own life as well as the lives of other road users,” Hire said.
Driver Rescued Without Major Injuries After Accident
The accident occurred at around 12.20 pm at kilometre 35 on the Mumbai-bound carriageway. The tanker, was travelling from Bengaluru towards Taloja when the vehicle overturned across lanes three and four. The driver, Irshad Ahmed Rehman (27), a resident of Basti, Uttar Pradesh, was trapped inside the cabin after the accident.
Teams from Khopoli Police Station, Borghat Highway Traffic Police from Borghat, IRB patrolling and Help Foundation immediately launched a rescue operation. After considerable efforts, the driver was pulled out safely. He sustained minor injuries and was shifted to MGM Hospital in an ambulance from Lokmanya Hospital for further treatment.
Tanker Overturns On Mumbai-Bound Carriageway
Fire brigade teams from Khopoli Municipal Council and AMNS Company reached the spot and extinguished the fire in around 30 minutes. After the fire was doused, traffic continued to move through lanes one and two, while lanes three and four remained blocked by the overturned tanker.
The tanker was subsequently removed from the affected lanes within about another hour with the help of a crane. Traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway was then restored smoothly.
As a precaution, Help Foundation chemical expert Dhananjay Geedh was called to the spot to assess the situation and guide the response teams, given the nature of the material being transported.
Borghat Assistant Police Inspector Swapnil Patil, along with Inspector Sachin Hire, supervised the rescue and traffic management operations. The IRB patrolling team, Delta Force, Maharashtra Security Force and other agencies also assisted at the scene.
The prompt coordination between the police, fire brigade, highway authorities and emergency teams ensured that the driver was rescued without serious injuries, the fire was brought under control quickly and traffic was restored within a short period.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
