Tikri area of Udhampur saw a massive explosion as a truck, which was carrying LPG cylinders, suddenly caught fire. Tension gripped the Jammu-Srinagar highway when the loud explosion sounds were heard. People witnessed back-to-back explosions and authorities immediately suspended the vehicular traffic in the area.
Though the traffic suspension was temporary, people plying on the highway did face slight inconvenience as the authorities tried to douse the massive flames. The entire area was rattled due to the loud explosion sounds.
Officials stated that the truck on way from Jammu to Srinagar was parked on the highway side when it suddenly caught fire and flames engulfed the entire vehicle.
Authorities added, "Before fire tenders could have reached the spot, the LPG cylinders caught fire and started to explode." Within just 30 minutes, all cylinders inside the truck exploded and people of the Tikri area got into a panic mode as they did not know initially that it was a truck that caused several explosions.
Video showing explosions went viral
The entire vehicle was engulfed by huge flames within minutes. A video showing the explosions went viral over social media.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Udhampur, Rajiv Pandey said that the truck was parked on the highway when it caught fire.
"There were huge sounds of explosion. No loss of life has been reported until now and the fire has been brought under control," added Pandey. The traffic had to be stopped due to the incident, which was eventually restored. The cylinders were found scattered on the road following the explosion and they had turned black due to the explosion. When the truck caught fire, no other vehicle was parked close by averting a major fire incident.
Last year in June, the Udhampur area had reported a fire incident when bushes had caught fire and the reason could not be ascertained. It had taken the authorities several efforts to control the situation last year.
