Vadodara: A dumper carrying material for the construction of a house near the Lalita Tower off the Rajesh Tower Road area caught fire when its carriage touched a high-tension electricity line passing through the area. The driver of the vehicle managed to jump off the vehicle in time to save himself.
The incident took place on Friday afternoon when the dumper had come to unload grit for a house being constructed there. When the driver of the dumper raised its carriage to unload the material, the carriage touched the high-tension power line above it.
A resident of the area and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) member Shwejal Vyas said that there was a loud explosion and the truck caught fire. “The driver of the truck managed to escape unhurt by jumping out of the truck,” he said.
Fire brigade officials said that the driver of the truck was careless and should have ensured that the carriage was clear of the lines above while raising it. Fire officer Parth Brahmbhatt said that the tyres of the truck caught fire initially and then other parts too went up in flames.
The firemen while dousing the fire in the dumper also ensured that its diesel tank did not burst. “We used both foam and water during the operations to ensure that the diesel and oil used for the hydraulics in the dumper did not aggravate the situation,” Brahmbhatt said. The driver of the vehicle escaped from the spot when the fire broke out.
The charred remains of the dumper
