Tanker carrying toxic chemical overturns; disaster averted

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, March 10, 2016, DHNS: A tanker containing a highly hazardous chemical toppled over and the chemical spilled onto the Nice Road near Kommaghatta on Tuesday evening.

Fire and Emergency Services and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel averted a major catastrophe by neutralising the chemical, which if inhaled could have led to fatalities.

Traffic movement was regulated on the stretch to ensure the 22-hour-long operation was not hindered. The police said the tanker from Madhya Pradesh, carrying 10,000 litres of thionyl chloride, was on its way to Tamil Nadu via Electronics City. Around 4 pm on Tuesday, the tanker overturned, resulting in the leakage of the chemical. Passersby alerted the police, who in turn summoned the Fire and Emergency Services, which along with NDRF rushed to the spot and cordoned off the entire area. The police blocked the road and diverted traffic as the chemical was highly toxic.

Santosh Kumar, Team Commander and Inspector of NDRF told Deccan Herald: “The driver lost control of the vehicle and it toppled. Around 4:30 pm, we received a call and 30 members from NDRF rushed to the spot. We analysed the situation and found that the chemical was dangerous. The chemical had spread across 300-metre radius from the spot where the tanker toppled and the entire area had a noxious smell,” added Kumar.

The NDRF team consulted experts, who advised them to wear protective gear and masks. They were directed to first neutralise the chemical by pouring limestone or sand on it.