Landslide in Ankola: Courageous efforts of skilled youths from Surathkal saves the day

Team Udayavani, Jul 21, 2024, 8:31 AM IST

Surathkal: The landslide at Shirur in Ankola caused an LPG gas tanker to fall into a river and cause a leak to develop. The situation was brought under control by the courageous efforts of contract employees from the HPCL depot in Surathkal, who risked their lives to manage the gas leak.

Contract employees from SP Engineering Works, working under the HPCL in Mangaluru, collaborated with the NDRF, Navy, and Fire Brigade to empty the gas from the tanker. Sanketh Poojari from Baala village, Manoj from Kulayigudde, Ratan from Janata Colony, and Santosh from Kavoor directly participated in the operation under the guidance of HPCL’s safety officer, Shivaraj Chauhan.

Despite the potential for an explosion, they successfully completed their task, says SP Engineering Works owner Shivaprasad Shetty.

How the Operation Unfolded

The tanker was swept away by the river, causing damage to the gauge at the rear and resulting in a gas leak. The first challenge was to stop the leak without using any metal tools to prevent any sparks that could ignite the gas. Wooden wedges and safety measures were used to control the leak.

Although the team attempted to empty the fuel with the assistance of the fire brigade and NDRF, the strong current made it impossible. They then prepared to tow the tanker to the shore and managed to empty it while still in the water. The operation continued until 6 PM on Friday.

“The gauge of the tanker was damaged, and the cabin was missing. We emptied the 18 tons of fuel into the water. Using the fire brigade’s assistance, we completely emptied the tanker. Being in the water reduced the chance of ignition, but we took extensive precautions,” said team member Ratan.