Gas leak from tanker at Kanhangad in Kerala, residents evacuated and traffic diverted

Gas leak from tanker at Kanhangad in Kerala, residents evacuated and traffic diverted

A tragedy was averted after a cooking gas tanker developed leak near Chithari, Kanhangad, in Kasaragod district of Kerala on May 23 morning thanks to the quick response of the tanker driver.

The driver detected the leak around 7:30 a.m. and immediately stopped the vehicle. Emergency services, including the Fire and Rescue Services personnel, swiftly responded, sealing the leak.

Authorities evacuated residents within a 300-meter radius of the site with cooperation from the Police, Revenue, and Local Self-Government departments, apart from local residents.

Traffic on the State highway was promptly diverted to ensure public safety.

The leak was traced to the rotor gauge of the tanker, which was en route from Manguluru to Kozhikode.

The Fire and Rescue Services, with units from Kanhangad and Kasaragod, initially attempted to plug the leak, but to no avail. Expert assistance was then sought from Mangaluru’s Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) whose specialists started transferring the gas to other tankers.

The temporary sealing of the leak took about two-and-a-half hours. Authorities have cautioned that traffic will remain diverted until the gas transfer is completed.