Three people were killed on Sunday evening when a tanker exploded during an asphalt heating operation at a plant in Mokshi village, located in Savli taluka of Vadodara district, Gujarat, police said, reported the PTI.
According to an official from Bhadarwa police station, the explosion occurred while the tanker was being heated in an attempt to dislodge and empty residual asphalt into barrels. The heat caused a build-up of gas pressure inside the tanker, which subsequently blew up, killing three people who were nearby, as per the PTI.
Among the deceased were the driver and cleaner of the vehicle, along with a labourer, the official stated.
“The tanker was being heated to remove the stuck asphalt. During this process, the gas pressure inside the tanker increased, and it exploded,” said the police official.
The bodies of the victims were transported to a hospital in Vadodara for post-mortem examinations.
The deceased have been identified as Armaan Ziaullah (26), a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Ashok Gurjar (21), from Alwar in Rajasthan, Shakib Akhtar Khan (33), a resident of Vadodara, police said, according to the PTI.
An investigation into the exact cause and safety lapses, if any, is underway, an official said.
One killed as house collapses in heavy rain
Meanwhile, in an another incident, a 55-year-old man was killed when his house collapsed amid heavy rains and strong winds in Shahapur taluka of Thane district, officials said on Sunday, as per the PTI.
Dunda Malhari Nimse was buried under the debris of the house in Alyani village on the morning of July 26, police said.
Police have registered a case of accidental death.
An official said the local administration is taking measures to ensure the safety of residents in vulnerable areas during the monsoon.
Thane district has received 699 mm of rainfall so far in July, including an average of 32.80 mm of rainfall on July 26, which is 86 per cent of the normal rainfall for this period, the official added.
He stated that the overall rainfall since the onset of monsoon in June stands at 1237.700 mm compared to 1485.400 mm of rainfall recorded during the same period last year.
“Although there is a shortfall compared to the previous year, the overall rain activity remains close to average in most parts of the district,” the district administration stated, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)