Varanasi: The sight of diesel spilling onto the road after a tanker overturned in Sonbhadra’s Markundi Valley drew a rush of locals and passersby, who arrived with buckets and containers to collect the fuel before police intervened.The diesel-laden tanker overturned in the Markundi Valley under Chopan police station area near Salkhan around 7am on Thursday after its brakes failed. The tanker was carrying around 24,000 litres of diesel, a large quantity of which began leaking onto the road after the accident.As the fuel spread across the road, several people rushed to the spot carrying buckets and containers to collect the spilled diesel. Their presence, however, heightened the safety risk as the leaked fuel posed a serious fire hazard.Police called the fire brigade to the spot and moved to control the situation. The people who had gathered to collect diesel fled after seeing the police. Traffic movement through Markundi Valley was affected for nearly half an hour following the accident.The tanker driver, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Yamunanagar in the Nazirganj police station area of Gaya district in Bihar, said he was transporting diesel from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar to Odisha. He said the tanker’s brakes suddenly failed after he reached the Markundi Valley beyond Robertsganj, causing the vehicle to go out of control and overturn. The driver sustained minor injuries.After receiving information about the accident, Gurma outpost in charge Shriprakash reached the spot with a police team.Chopan station house officer Gopal Ji Gupta said police and fire brigade personnel brought the situation under control, cleared the traffic jam and made necessary safety arrangements at the site.
