When a tanker fell sideways on a highway near Uppinangady in Dakshina Kannada on Saturday afternoon, people rushed to the site of the accident and began filling the diesel in cans before leaving the area.
The accident occurred at 2.30 pm at Nekkilady Bollaru on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway when a tanker headed for Kolar fell sideways. The accident disrupted traffic near Uppinangady.
Uppinangady Traffic Police officials told TNM that the accident led to a chaotic situation as people began filling diesel in cans and buckets. "The tanker had upturned around 2.30; by the time we reached there, the road was blocked and all the people had already filled their cans and left," said a traffic police official.
A diesel tanker toppling is usually cause for alarm but on this occasion, photographs from the accident site showed scores of people standing with containers and filling it up with the diesel from the tanker. This was after the diesel in the tanker began leaking into the road.
In the past year, there have been multiple occasions where tankers have toppled on this same route. In November 2019, an LPG tanker came to a halt near Uppinangady after it started leaking. Local residents were told to keep away from the tanker and not light gas stoves or burn firewood till a response team was sent.
In February 2021, a tanker similarly toppled in Soorikumeru near Mani on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru Highway after the driver lost control of the vehicle at a turning. Police rushed to the area and diverted traffic via Kalladka and Vitla.