It was the busy morning hours. Vehicles were moving normally at the toll plaza. At that moment, an LPG tanker lost control. Moments after it rammed into the toll plaza, a massive explosion occurred. Seven people were burned in the horrific fire, with five toll plaza employees in critical condition.
The incident took place around 7 am on Friday at the Sihori Toll Plaza under Kokraj Police Station in Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh. The LPG tanker, traveling from Kanpur to Pratapgarh, lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle. The tanker, moving at around 60-70 km/h, first hit the road divider and overturned before crashing into the toll plaza.
Immediately after the impact, LPG gas began leaking from the tanker. Shortly after, a massive explosion occurred. In moments, the tanker and parts of the toll plaza were engulfed in flames. Black smoke and flames were visible from nearly two kilometers away.
As the fire rapidly spread to the toll plaza premises and an adjacent toilet, several employees were trapped in the blaze. Following the incident, panicked commuters abandoned their vehicles and fled to safety. This led to long traffic jams on both sides of the highway.
According to police, the tanker’s driver and assistant managed to jump from the vehicle and save their lives before the explosion.
Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapati said that preliminary investigation revealed the explosion and fire occurred due to gas leakage after the tanker hit the toll plaza. A team of the District Supply Officer and technical experts is continuing the investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.
A total of seven people were injured. Five of them sustained severe burns and were first admitted to Kaushambi District Hospital before being shifted to Prayagraj for advanced treatment. The other two were discharged after receiving first aid.
Toll plaza employee Sanjay Nirmal said there had been light rain in the area shortly before the accident. Immediately after the tanker hit the toll plaza, gas leaked and the entire area was engulfed in fire within moments.
At least 16 motorcycles and two private vehicles parked at the toll plaza were completely gutted in the fire. Supervisor Alok Pandey, who was in the toilet, was also severely burned.
Several fire tenders arrived at the spot and launched operations to bring the blaze under control. Rescue operations were initially hampered due to the intensity of the fire. Cooling operations are currently underway and technical examination of the tanker is also in progress.
