Angul: Not a single fire has been lit in the homes of around five villages in Angul district after a Propane Gas tanker overturned on National Highway 55 near Kamrei under Handapa police limits in the district on Tuesday.
Reportedly, the tanker on its way from Cuttack to Sambalpur met an accident near Kamrei which led to a gas leak. On getting information, police team from Handapa and Kishorenagar along with fire personnel from Bamur, Angul, Rairakhol and Athmallick rushed to the spot.
The fire brigade team first sprayed water on the spot to control the spread of the gas and the power connection of the area was immediately cut off. Taking further precautions, people of around five villages within two kilometres range were instructed to not cook any food or light any fire.
To save the commuters from inconvenience, police have diverted traffic on both sides of the accident spot while measures are being taken to transfer the gas to another tanker. Adequate police force has been deployed in the area to control the situation.
“Traffic has been diverted on both sides of the accident spot by neighbouring police stations. So the accident spot is being bypassed by the traffic. Hence traffic movement is mostly normal except that riders have to ride some extra distance,” informed Angul Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena to Ommcom News.
He added that traffic is being diverted at Boinda and Nakchi.
Meena said that the direct distance between Boinda and Nakchi is 17 km and presently traffic is moving through Thakurgarh from Boinda to Nakchi which is 41 km and commuters have to cover an extra distance of 24 km.
The arrangement has been in place soon after the accident occurred, he added.