Gorakhpur: Panic gripped commuters on the Gorakhpur–Kushinagar road on Thursday after a gas-laden tanker caught fire near the Jagdishpur Madapar tri-junction. Thick smoke rising from the vehicle was visible from nearly 500 metres away, creating fear among locals and passers-by.The incident occurred around noon when the tanker, which was heading towards Sonouli on the Indo-Nepal border, suddenly caught fire in its front portion. Eyewitnesses said flames quickly engulfed the cabin area, triggering chaos in the vicinity as people rushed away from the spot fearing a possible explosion.Fortunately, the blaze did not reach the gas container section of the tanker, preventing a major disaster.According to preliminary information, the driver had reportedly turned the vehicle off the main road to stop for lunch. During the manoeuvre, the upper part of the tanker allegedly met a hanging high-tension electricity wire along the roadside. The contact triggered sparks that quickly ignited the left wheel of the truck.Realising the danger, the driver immediately switched off the vehicle and jumped out to safety. Within moments, the tyre burst with a loud bang and the fire intensified. In about 20 minutes, the front portion of the tanker, including the engine, was completely gutted.Fire personnel managed to bring the situation under control, preventing the flames from spreading to the tanker’s gas chamber.“There was no loss of life in the incident. The fire was brought under control in time,” said Shantanu Kumar Yadav, fire officer in Gorakhpur.
