23 March,2014 04:02 AM IST | | A correspondent
The tanker, carrying an unknown petro-chemical, skidded, turned turtle, exploded and caught fire on Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway
At least eight people were killed and 12 injured when a petro-chemical tanker overturned and exploded on the busy Ahmedabad-Mumbai national highway yesterday.
The tanker, carrying an unknown petro-chemical, reportedly skidded, turned turtle, exploded and caught fire on the highway near Charoti around 2.30 pm.
A restaurant and some small shops were also damaged in the flames emanating from the tanker on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway
Police officer Preeti Patil of Kasa police station said, "The burning tanker knocked down around 10 other vehicles."
All the injured were taken to Kasa Rural Hospital. The driver, in his statement, claimed that he lost control of the oil tanker. Firefighters and police rushed to the site for rescue operations. One side of the highway was cleared for traffic by 6 pm.
The tanker toppled near Apsara Hotel, which also caught fire. However, the hotel was evacuated immediately and no one was injured.
A traffic highway police official said, "The spot where the accident took place is congested as people take the bus to Mumbai from here and there are many small business set-ups as well. It is currently difficult to identify the dead bodies as the burns are heavy and the procedure is on by the local police station there."
