Cracker-laden lorry gutted in fire after contact with high-tension wire

A lorry carrying firecrackers caught fire after hitting a high-tension wire in Hyderabad, but drivers escaped unharmed.

A major disaster was narrowly averted after a lorry transporting firecrackers caught fire after coming in contact with a high-tension electricity wire at Kothur on outskirts of the city on Saturday (March 21) afternoon.

The incident occurred around 12.30 p.m. on the Penjerla–Manikyammaguda road within the limits of Kothur police station. The lorry was carrying a consignment of crackers from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu and headed towards Maheshwaram, with part of the load also meant for Nizamabad.

According to the police, the vehicle came in contact with an overhead high-tension wire, triggering a blaze that quickly engulfed the lorry. Both drivers, identified as Ayyapan and Sattivel, managed to jump out of the vehicle and escape safely.

Local police reached the spot immediately and alerted the fire services. A fire engine was pressed into service and the fire was brought under control. As a precautionary measure, electricity supply in the area was temporarily shut by Transmission Corporation of Telangana Limited personnel.

While there was no loss of life or injuries, the lorry was completely gutted in the fire.

Shadnagar Zone DCP C. Shirisha and ACP Laxminarayana of Shadnagar Division, visited the site and enquired about the incident with the drivers. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement