Driver sustains burn injuries after tanker lorry catches fire in Tirupattur

A 36-year-old driver sustained burn injuries after a tanker lorry he was driving on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH-48) caught fire at Kethandapatty village near Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur.

The police said that along with his helper, S. Gokul, 23, the lorry driver N. Suresh, 36, a native of Ariyalur, was returning from a cement-making unit in Salem after delivering a consignment of cement mixture. He noticed smoke emanating from the bonnet of the vehicle, and before he could get down from the driver’s seat, the fire engulfed the entire front portion of the vehicle. In the impact, Suresh sustained burn injuries, whereas helper Gokul managed to jump off the vehicle.

Passersby and other motorists rushed in immediately to rescue the duo. Suresh was admitted to the Government Taluk Hospital in Natrampalli. Based on an alert, firefighters from Natrampalli doused the fire. The police removed the charred vehicle from the carriageway to resume traffic movement. They said an electrical short circuit could be the reason for the accident. A case was registered and further probe is under way.