Five people lost their lives and several others were injured after an LPG tanker crashed into a toll booth and exploded in a massive fireball in Uttar Pradesh, India. The incident occurred on Friday, June 26, at the Sihori Kachar toll plaza.
Crash and Explosion Details
Horrifying CCTV footage captured the front of the lorry crumpling as the driver, 40-year-old Dharmendra Dwivedi, appeared to smash into a concrete barrier at high speed. A thick white cloud of LPG rapidly enveloped the surrounding area before bursting into flames minutes later. The inferno was so fierce that it could reportedly be seen from approximately 2 km away.
Dwivedi, from Mirzapur-cum-Vindhyachal, was traveling from Kanpur to Varanasi at the time. He perished in the flames inside the tanker's cab.
Casualties and Injuries
In addition to Dwivedi, four other people died. Toll plaza worker Alok Singh, 26, passed away in hospital on the day of the collision. Bystander Anil Kumar, of Handia, died from his burn wounds on Wednesday, July 1. On Thursday, July 2, Hiramani Singh, 29, of Raebareli, and Krishan Pal Maurya, 23, of Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh state, also died in hospital in Prayagraj. Another casualty, Atul Mishra, who suffered severe burns, was moved to a hospital in Rewa for additional treatment.
Property Damage
The blast also obliterated 16 motorcycles and two cars parked close to the toll plaza.
Investigation Ongoing
The reason behind the crash remains under investigation.
