Kochi: A major disaster was averted at Karayamparambu near Angamaly on the outskirts of Ernakulam district on Monday afternoon, when the swift safety measures taken by the fire and the police personnel stopped the leakage from a tanker lorry that was carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Ernakulam to Thrissur. The National Highway 47 was blocked for almost two hours while the police secured the area and the local residents were alerted to take security measures.
Though officials feared the leak would turn into a major disaster, they were able to bring the situation under control as the police, fire personnel and an expert team from the Cochin International Airport arrived on the scene and closed the central valve through which the fuel was leaking.
The tanker lorry was carrying LPG from the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) when its driver detected a leak and informed the officials about it. The leak was spotted at around 1.45 pm. A BPCL team also arrived at the location to avert a possible mishap.
After bringing the situation under control by closing the leakage with M-seal, the lorry was taken to the Ambalamedu campus of the BPCL and the fuel was transferred to another tanker. The roads were also opened after 3.45 pm.
“We took all measures to avert a disaster. The road was blocked on time and the local residents were warned of the situation. People were also asked not to switch on electronic devices or turn on their stoves. Fortunately, the leakage was not serious and things were back to normal soon. The officials did a great job in averting a major disaster,” said Ernakulam District Collector P.I.Sheikh Pareeth.
