In the early hours of Monday, a gas tanker carrying eight tonnes of ethylene oxide, a highly flammable, toxic, and carcinogenic chemical, overturned on Pune-Ahmednagar Road near Wadgaon Sheri. The incident occurred around 12:47am.
A swift response followed, with ten fire tenders dispatched from both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to the scene to prevent a major mishap.
An official from the PMC Fire Department mentioned seeking assistance from Reliance Petrochemicals for further action. Meanwhile, efforts were made to control the gas spread by spraying water on the overturned tanker.
Milind Kulkarni, an expert safety officer from Reliance Petrochemicals, arrived at the spot around 6am, and his team quickly arranged for nitrogen and crane assistance. By 1pm, two cranes and a tempo carrying 15 tons of nitrogen arrived, initiating the process of raising the overturned tanker. Within an hour, the crane successfully lifted the tanker, transferring the air from the accident-struck tanker to another using nitrogen pressure.
Throughout the operation, firefighters continuously doused the tanker with water, mindful of the potential danger. Any accident during this time could have caused significant losses in the area. The entire process took approximately sixteen hours, and once all procedures were duly completed, the fire brigade received commendation from all quarters.
