A welder was among two persons who died in an explosion while working on an empty fuel tanker when part of the tanker caught fire and exploded at Suryapet town on Monday evening. Three others — lorry owner, driver and cleaner — sustained minor injuries, and are being treated at a hospital.
Victims have been identified as 25-year-old welder M. Arjun and 30-year-old head of Fuel Tanker Owners’ Association G. Arjun.
The incident occurred around 5.30 p.m. at a workshop near the bus station. As the first block of the tanker had suffered damage and was leaking, the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) staff refused to refill it and asked the driver to get it fixed first, District Superintendent of Police S. Rajendra Prasad told The Hindu.“The damaged tanker was being mended at the workshop when the explosion took place. We suspect the tanker had some traces of petrol which might have caused the explosion within a few seconds after Mantri Arjun started the welding process,” he said.
The impact of the explosion was such that the tanker turned into a projectile and the lid fell on the other side of the road. “They did not take proper precautions while fixing the leakage,” the SP said.
According to Mr. Rajendra Prasad, the welder died on the spot and the association president succumbed to his third-degree burns while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The health condition of the tanker owner Ramana, driver Mallesh, and helper Venkat, is said to be stable.
