Diesel tanker ruptures on Agra highway; locals rush with buckets to collect fuel
Agra: A tanker carrying 12,000 litres of diesel ruptured after a trailer rammed into it on Agra highway near Etmadpur on Saturday morning, spilling around 3,000 litres of fuel onto the road and prompting locals and commuters to rush in with drums, buckets and cans to collect it. The impact ruptured its last chamber, which contained around 3,000 litres of diesel. No casualties were reported. ACP Etmadpur Devesh Singh confirmed that the leaked fuel was diesel and said the tanker had four compartments that could be filled depending on requirements.
Police and fire personnel cleared people from the area amid fears that the fuel could catch fire. The accident occurred around 8am near Fateh Singh Ki Puliya when the trailer, carrying girders from Firozabad towards Agra, hit the rear of the tanker while it was crossing the highway. The tanker had picked up fuel from Indian Oil Corporation’s Etmadpur facility for supply. As diesel gushed onto the highway, people gathered with containers to collect it, disrupting traffic and creating a fire hazard. Police warned people to stay away from the spill and not to smoke or use any source of ignition. A fire brigade was called as a precaution and IOCL officials also reached the spot. He clarified that IOCL does not file complaints in such cases and that the tanker owner, a resident of Firozabad, had submitted the police complaint. Police initiated legal action on the complaint and began investigating the circumstances of the collision and the trailer driver’s role.