LPG tanker disasters cry for better safety measures

By O.J.George

Around 4 am, when most people are fast asleep in December cosiness, an LPG tanker lorry collided against a car, overturned and caught fire, which further caused explosions, on the gas catching fire and continuing the conflagration for over seven hours.

By then over 20 people received burn injuries, at least ten of them 100 suffering critical injuries. At least four of them had suffered 100 per cent injuries. Two of them succumbed to the injuries after a few hours of treatment in the hospital.
There are others with 70 to 80 per cent burns whose lives hang in the balance.
A large number of shops, about 20 motor-cycles, a police van and other things were gutted.

More than all these devastations, think about the trauma of people who have been evacuated in the sleepy hours.

Our of abundant precaution, the electricity supply in the whole area was snapped. Mobile phones were immobilized, people were asked through loud speakers not to light anything, not even cause a spark.

Women, children and old people had to be taken to safe places, leaving everything back, in the unwholesome hours.

Tanker lorries have free access to our roads which are the pathways for people and passenger and transportation vehicles.

There were tanker lorry accidents in Thrissur district and Kollam district and a few other places this year. By sheer luck, the tragedy of today’s magnitude was averted. Every time, that cannot be expected.

There should be scientific way of dealing with transportation of gas and handling of these vehicles.

The fire force personnel were fighting the accident on the strength of will-power and water. Both are not sufficient to meet the challenge.

Let good sense prevail over decision makers and devise ways to ensure safety.