Grocery-laden trucks burst into fire near petrol pump

Kanpur: Panic prevailed in Barra by-pass area on Saturday morning when fire from a grocery-laden truck spread to three other trucks near an Indian Oil petrol pump station. However, timely action by the fire department checked the fire from spreading further and averted a major mishap.
After the fuel station staff alerted the local police and dire department, four fire tenders were immediately pressed into service and the fire was doused before it could spread further.

Police said a truck loaded with grocery material was parked close to the premises of Hari Om Filling station in Barra by-pass area, when high-tension electric wire above it snapped and emitted sparks. Within a few minutes, the truck was gutted in the fire.

The situation, however, turned scary, when the fire spread to three other trucks parked near the premises of the filling station.

The employees splashed water on the trucks, but in vain. Sensing a dangerous situation, shocked employees ran away from the station.

The incident led to a scare in the locality as it occurred close at a fuel station surrounded by a number of residential and commercial buildings.

Four fire tenders were pressed into service from nearby fire stations. The fire personnel managed to put off the fire after nearly two hours of struggle. Nobody was injured in the mishap, fire force personnel said.

A major tragedy could have taken place if fire was not doused on time, they added.

“Fire occurred due to snapping of high-tension electric wire, which emitted sparks devastating four trucks parked near the premises of the filling station,” said Inspector Barra Atul Kumar Srivastava.

“Had the fire spread to the fuel station, it could have been a disaster,” he added.