Karnataka: Bullet tanker explodes on state highway, leads to huge fire

BENGALURU: A bullet tanker turned into a ball of fire after the vehicle toppled while negotiating a curve on the state highway in Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka on Tuesday afternoon. Police said the accident took place near Giriyapura, a small town on the state highway between Kadur and Chikkamagalur around 2.30pm. Five houses that flanked the high heat were destroyed after fire spread. One person got killed in the explosion. Preliminary investigations reveal that the driver and his assistant sustained serious burn injuries. Locals told police that they heard a big blast and then saw the vehicle in flames. “It looked like the 10 wheeler and the area was covered in thick smoke. The vehicle has toppled on the road after the driver lost control over it,” Somashekar, a resident of fGiriyapura, who is an eyewitness to the accident, said. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot and the residents have been evacuated. Source:Times Of India