Gas Leak Scare Chokes Thalassery Town

Sucheth P R
28 March 2013

Lorry cleaner Dennis with the fire extinguisher that leaked

Thalassery:The town witnessed unusualpanicky scenes on Wednesday morning following rumours about a gas inferno. The incident occurred at 11.30 am whena damaged fire extinguisherof a truck carrying LPG cylinders leaked. The chemical powder burst out of it soon formed a white fumes inside the driver's cabin. Hearing the bursting sound and seeing smoke in the truck on A V K Nair Road at Narangappuram, panickedpeople including women and children started running towards seaside and many of them fell down and suffered minor injuries. Drivers left vehicles, policemen abandoned stations and officemen and schoolchildren joined them in the panicked race to save themselves. A few cops added to the chaos saying that they smelt leaked gas. Barbers left their customers and people started running with half-shaven faces and half-cut hair. Within minutes the entire town wore a strange deserted look with vehicles scattered on roads and opened shops without people. Meanwhile, the Ernakulam-Kannur Intercity Express was detained at Mahe Station for about 45 minutes and rumour spread in Mahe also. People calmed down only after the Sub-Collector, Tahasiladar and senior police officials reached the accident spot and informed that the situation was out of danger. By the time, a sea of people had formed near the pier, Sea View Park and Centenary Park near the District Courts about two km away from Narangappuram. The truck (KL-09 R 7093) which had left the scene in the meantime was later takEn into custody from Mahe. “We stopped near Mahe to wash the vehicle as it was difficult to travel with the thick layer of white chemical substance that filled the cabin. The police who first allowed us to leave the place, later took us into custody from there,” truck cleaner Dennis said. He addedthat the truck was returning from Kalliassery to Chelari in Malappuram with empty cooking gas cylinders. “Asone of the fire extinguishers was damaged, we had keptit in the cabin. The lid of it was accidentally pressed against the cabin box and that caused the chaos.A shiver ran down our spines as chemicals burst with big noise,” he added. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel could not reach the spot as people left vehicleson road causing traffic snarls. A case has been registered against truck driver Yeldo for reckless driving, Thalassery police said.

The New Indian Express