Gas tanker overturns on NH-48, traffic disrupted

HASSAN: Traffic on the Bangalore-Mangalore NH 48 was disrupted for about 10 hours after a gas tanker overturned near Thimmanahalli on Tuesday. Traffic police and fire personnel took steps to avert untoward incidents due to leakage of gas.The officials banned the use of cell phones and smoking in the area and directed the residents of Thimmanahalli, Mavanoor, Bharatavalli and adjacent villages on either side of the highway not to light fires in their houses, as the gas had spread over a 500 metre radius of the spot. CESCOM engineers cut off all live wires as a precautionary measure.Senior officials and engineers from the gas refilling plant near Kunigal arrived by 3.30 pm and stopped the leakage after more than an hour. Traffic was later diverted via Kandali, Bylahalli and Doddakanagal and Hunasavalli villages.