Madikeri: A fuel tanker with a dual compartment laden with diesel and petrol from Mangaluru and plying towards a filling station in Napoklu in the district went out of its driver’s control at Mekeri on Wednesday, Apr 22.
The driver and the cleaner of the vehicle sustained minor injuries. They were rushed to the government hospital here. But the entire load of petrol and diesel, said to be about 12,000 litres, spilled all over the road, creating a hazardous situation.
The police made a dash to the place and immediately shut down the roads leading to Madikeri and Virajpet. Traffic was diverted to Bhagamandala road from where they could take a detour.
The fire service arrived from Madikeri and splashed foam-mixed water on the vehicle to avert any kind of disaster. Twenty loads of mud was brought and spread around the entire area wherever the fuel had spilled. The police strict a strict watch on those who had gathered to prevent anyone from using their mobile phones.
As usual, there were a few people who wanted to take advantages of a crisis of that kind. They gathered with cans, bottles and pots to collect as much fuel as possible.
Most of them appeared to be vehicle-owners. When it was realized that both petrol and diesel had got mixed with each other, many of them backed out.
But there were still a few who were happy to get as much bounty as possible for other burning purposes.
Making Merry in Others’ Misery!
