Several houses in Kadur in Chikkamagaluru were ablaze on Tuesday afternoon after an oil tanker exploded in the region. At the time of writing, the driver and another person in the vehicle have reportedly suffered severe burns.
Four fire engines have been pressed into service. The fire station received the call at 3 pm. Vehicles from Kadur, Tarikere, Chikkamagaluru, Hosadurga and Shivamogga are at the spot.
According to reports, a petrol tanker overturned and caught fire. Local media reports said that the driver lost control of the vehicle. The fire from the tanker then spread to the houses nearby – reports said that there are 50 houses in the neighbourhood, and the fire has spread to at least five of those houses.
It is unclear if all the residents in the houses in the vicinity have evacuated. Visuals played by TV channels showed people dragging vehicles out of the way of the fire. Thick black smoke can be seen rising above the buildings.
The control room received initial reports that the vehicle number is unrecognizable due to the extent of the fire.
Diesel tanker topples over in Chikkamagaluru’s Giriyapura. Houses near the bus stop catch fire. Fire fighters on the spot pic.twitter.com/bebVkz4MeP
— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) June 19, 2018
Five fire engines from Tarikere, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kadur and Hosadurga have been deployed to douse the fire. pic.twitter.com/tUxlqyGjy0
— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) June 19, 2018
This is a developing story.