Chemical tanker overturns, catches fire on KMP Expressway, driver critical

A chemical-laden tanker overturned and caught fire on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Haryana's Nuh district on Wednesday, leaving its driver critically injured and triggering a massive traffic jam, police said.

The accident occurred around noon near Khod Basai, close to the Nuh-Gurugram border, under the jurisdiction of Rojka Meo police station.

According to police, the tanker was travelling from Manesar towards Palwal when the driver allegedly shifted the vehicle into neutral while negotiating a downhill stretch. The tanker subsequently gained speed, went out of control and rammed into a road divider before overturning.

The driver managed to jump out of the vehicle but sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲

Following the collision, chemicals spilled from the overturned tanker onto the expressway and caught fire, causing panic among motorists and people in the surrounding area.

The flames continued to burn for a considerable period, prompting authorities to deploy five to six fire tenders to contain the blaze.

Police, fire department personnel and district administration officials rushed to the accident site and launched an emergency response operation.

Firefighters worked to bring the flames under control while police secured the surrounding area to prevent further accidents.

The nature of the chemicals being transported was not immediately disclosed.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

As a precautionary measure, police stopped vehicular movement on the expressway in both directions while firefighting operations were underway.

The restrictions resulted in severe congestion, with queues of vehicles extending nearly one kilometre on either side of the accident site.

Motorists travelling along the busy expressway were left stranded as emergency teams worked to extinguish the fire and secure the affected stretch.

The incident disrupted traffic on the KMP Expressway, a major transport corridor connecting Kundli, Manesar and Palwal and used extensively by commercial vehicles.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀

Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control after nearly three hours of continuous efforts, officials said.

"After three hours of efforts, the fire personnel managed to bring the blaze under control. The injured driver was admitted to the hospital," a Nuh police spokesperson said.

Authorities continued to monitor the situation following the firefighting operation, while the accident raised concerns over the transportation of hazardous materials on busy highways.

Police said the driver's condition remained critical following the accident.