Hassan: Incessant rains accompanied by several landslides at various points in the past couple of days on the Shiradi Ghat stretch of the National Highway-75 passing through Sakleshpur of Hassan linking Bengaluru and Mangaluru, has made the road unmotorable and keeping in mind the safety of travellers, the Ghat road will be closed for all types of traffic from Wednesday till August 20.
The decision to stop the traffic was announced by Assistant Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy who told Deccan Chronicle that all types of vehicles will be banned till August 20 while movement of light vehicles will be permitted from August 21. All vehicles can operate on the Ghat road from August 26 onwards. Mr Reddy said Shiradi Ghat has developed damages because of heavy rains and keeping in mind public safety, it has been decided to close the road.
Meanwhile, a gas tanker slipped off the road on Shiradi Ghat and the vehicles fell about 100 feet into a nearby gorge. In the incident, the cleaner of the gas tanker who is yet to be identified, died while officials concerned fear that the driver might have also drowned.
A search is on to trace the driver who is said to be trapped in the vehicle which slipped off the road. The gas laden truck from Mangaluru was passing through Shiradi Ghat on Tuesday midnight and the driver is said to have come across the landslide on the road. To evade the mud piled up on the road, the driver reportedly drove his vehicle to the edge of the road which slipped on account of the wet surface and fell into the gorge.
The gas tanker belonged to Hindustan Petroleum and it is said that gas from the tanker leaked into the surroundings. But the water at the bottom of the gorge may have diluted the gas neutralizing its effect, said sources. Mr Lakshmikanth Reddy said efforts are being made to find the driver with heavy rains making their task difficult.
