12.6-tonne LPG tanker overturns on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway; gas transfer underway

A 12.6-tonne LPG tanker of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) overturned on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on Tuesday, disrupting traffic on the Vadodara-Bharuch stretch in Gujarat. Authorities closed one side of the four-lane highway while specialists worked to transfer the highly combustible gas.

The tanker overturned after colliding with a trailer near Saraswani village in Vadodara district's Padra area at around 1 am, prompting authorities to suspend traffic on the affected carriageway as a precaution. Although no leakage has been detected so far, fire officials have been deployed at the site with two fire tenders as a precaution against any untoward incident during the removal operation.

Officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the police closed one side of the expressway, with the tanker also blocked. Vadodara Superintendent of Police Sushilkumar Agrawal told The Indian Express, "IOCL officials have reached the site to undertake the specialised operation of transferring the LPG from the overturned tanker to another tanker before the vehicle can be lifted and removed.

It is a highly flammable gas, so safety is a priority and the police are ensuring there is no obstruction due to vehicular traffic. Since it is an important route on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, vehicles cannot be completely stopped, so they are being cautiously directed to move through the one free lane." Agrawal said the operation is likely to end in a couple of hours by late Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighting teams from nearby Karjan and Padra were deployed at the site following the accident. The police and other authorities have also been coordinating the safety arrangements. Sandeep Sadhu, a fireman with the fire department in Karjan, said the department received the call at around 1 am.

“We arrived to be on standby with two fire tenders. So far, no leakage points have been found…,” he said. NHAI officials said the Vadodara-Bharuch stretch of the expressway has recorded daily traffic of 50,000 cars besides heavy industrial vehicles since opening last year.

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.

Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.

Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).

Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.

Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora.

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