Bihar: Four dead as oil tanker explodes, splits into halves

The blast was strong enough to split the tanker into two halves, and the rear half was thrown off several feet apart. Three of the injured died on the spot, while others were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Vaishali (Bihar): Three people died and several others were seriously injured after an oil tanker exploded while it was parked on the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur main road here on Wednesday. The blast was strong enough to split the tanker into two halves, and the rear half was thrown off several feet apart. Three of the injured died on the spot, while others were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Police rushed to the spot as soon as the incident was reported. Though the exact reason behind the blast is not clear yet, it is suspected that the welding of the tanker which was underway when the blast occurred could have led to the explosion. Local police have taken cognizance of the matter, though the identities of the dead have not been ascertained yet.

The tanker exploded with a loud sound and the blast attracted several spectators. The crowd around the incident site led to a traffic jam on the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur national highway.

As informed by a local Munna Bhagat, the tanker was empty, when it exploded. "The accident could have been much more dangerous if it was filled with oil or gas. It made a terrible sound when it exploded. It was very sudden. The tanker was parked near the Gudiya Katan Wala bridge," he informed.