Kolkata: Tension gripped the area near the New Town bus stand after an oil tanker full of diesel caught fire in front of a petrol pump on Friday afternoon.
Around 4 pm, the tanker was about to enter an Indian Oil petrol pump when it suddenly went up in flames. The driver and helper immediately jumped out and moved to safety, while the petrol pump was evacuated.
Traffic towards Narkelbagan was diverted as a precaution, though movement towards Salt Lake remained normal. According to the fire brigade, five fire tenders reached the spot within minutes, and the blaze was brought under control around 6.20 pm. A short circuit in the battery is suspected to have triggered the fire. No one was hurt.
In a separate incident on Thursday night, a fire broke out at a sponge manufacturing factory near Hashkhali Pole in Andul, Howrah. The flames spread quickly due to a large stock of inflammable materials inside the unit. Ten fire tenders battled the blaze for several hours before dousing it. No injuries were reported.