Near-miss on GT Road near Khanna: CNG truck flip sparks blast scare.

Khanna: A major disaster was narrowly averted on the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway on Saturday afternoon after a truck laden with compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders overturned, sparking a high-stakes emergency response.The accident, which occurred near Libra village, triggered an immediate panic as gas began hissing from damaged valves, threatening a massive explosion on one of India's busiest transit corridors. The driver, Gurvinder Singh of Mandi Gobindgarh, has told authorities concerned that the crash occurred when he swerved and braked abruptly to avoid a vehicle that had suddenly cut into his path. The sudden shift in weight caused the heavy cargo of cylinders to shift, flipping the truck onto its side.
The sound of escaping gas alerted nearby residents and passing motorists, leading to a tense standoff as the risk of a spark-ignited blast loomed. Members of the Sadak Suraksha Force (Road Safety Force) arrived on the scene within minutes, implementing a textbook emergency protocol of evacuation, traffic lockdown, and fire suppression.The immediate area was cleared of all civilians and bystanders. Traffic on the GT Road was halted in both directions to eliminate the risk of engine sparks or cigarette embers. The fire brigade arrived to douse the area and manage the leaking units. Sub-inspector Sukhdev Singh of the Sadak Suraksha Force confirmed that firefighters had isolated the leaking cylinders from the rest of the cargo and righted the truck eventually with the assistance of a JCB machine and local volunteers. Miraculously, no fire or explosion occurred. The driver, Gurvinder Singh, was treated for minor injuries on the scene before being transported to a local hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The highway was reopened to traffic once the leaking cylinders were moved to a secure, isolated location and the site was declared safe by safety officials.