GHOTKI: Three people were injured in a fire that started during the shifting of diesel from one oil tanker to the other.
A private company’s oil tanker overturned at the National Highway near Ghotki Bypass on Sunday evening. The oil tanker was heading to the Punjab from Karachi when it toppled while going around a turn at high speed.
The tanker was carrying 20,000 litres of oil, 5,000 of which spilled out. On Monday morning, another tanker was brought from the Punjab so that the diesel from one could be shifted to the other.
Three labourers, Sikander, Shahnawaz and Naseem Ahmed, were in the process of shifting the diesel to the other tanker with the help of a motor and pipe when a fire started and quickly spread to the pool of oil on the road. The three labourers sustained burns and were taken to Civil Hospital, Ghotki.
Motorway officials had cordoned off the road and diverted traffic from Karachi to the Punjab to the parallel road, converting the one-way route to Karachi into a traffic-congested double road.
According to these officials, the fire started because of a generator that was placed on the cabin of the oil tanker that fell over. The driver of that tanker was taking the generator to his hometown in Faisalabad. The generator was lying on the roof of the cabin while the diesel shifting was taking place. However, people at the site said that the fire probably started because a passerby flicked a cigarette in the tanker’s direction or because of the extreme heat.
When the fire started, the driver of the replacement oil tanker decided to drive off to protect his vehicle from the flames. Since the lid was not closed properly, the exiting tanker left a trail of diesel behind it and the flames quickly raced along the path. However, two fire brigades from Ghotki managed to reach the site in time and douse the flames along the road. After an hour long battle, the fire was completely put out.
Motorway officials removed the burnt carcass of the tanker around 7:30 pm on Monday evening and traffic resumed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2010.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ