A Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker collided with the wall of the flyover near Vasantrao Naik College in Cidco N-3 area on Jalna Road around 5:30 am on Thursday.
The collision resulted in damage to the valve below the tanker, leading to a leakage of LPG gas. The incident prompted a swift response from various authorities, including the police, municipal corporation, and the petroleum company, to avert potential disaster.
Efforts to address the situation began immediately, with firefighters continuously spraying water on the tanker since 6 am. As a precautionary measure, electricity supply to the surrounding area was cut off, and residents were urged not to use cooking stoves or other flammable items. The CIDCO area on Jalna Road witnessed road closures and traffic diversions, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Evacuation was carried out in a 500-meter radius
CP Manoj Lohiya, DCP Aparna Gitay, DCP Nitin Bagate, and Municipal Commissioner G Srikant were present at the site, closely monitoring the rescue operation. Initially, an evacuation was carried out in a 500-meter radius around the tanker, later expanded to approximately 1 kilometre in consultation with HPCL officials. The leak, caused by the damaged tanker valve, resulted in the release of around 3 tons of LPG into the air by 1 pm, leaving 15 tons in the tanker.
As a precautionary measure, discussions with the response team led to a decision to transfer the remaining LPG to another vacant tanker, despite associated risks. Continuous water spraying was maintained throughout the day, with the rescue operation expected to continue into the late hours.
Internal roads witnessed congestion due to the diversion of vehicles. Traffic from Chikalthana to the main city was redirected to Chikalthana MIDC from the Mukundwadi flyover, and the service road for the flyover was opened till the Deepali Hotel. Vehicles from Kranti Chowk to Cidco were diverted to the MGM Hospital Road from Seven Hills.
