Srinagar
The vehicular traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for nearly several hours after a truck caught fire inside Jawahar Tunnel. However, all the two persons travelling in the truck had a narrow escape due to swift action on the part of Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Reports said that a truck bearing registration number PB-13AB 9592, caught fire as soon as it entered Jawahar Tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar highway. The truck, which was carrying ply boards, also suffered a blast when a gas cylinder inside the vehicle caught fire.
Witnessing smoke coming out of the south portal of the tunnel, all the agencies stationed at the tunnel including State Police, immediately swung into action and got vehicular movement stopped from both the sides to prevent any untoward incident.
The Fire and Emergency Services personnel were immediately sounded and within shortest possible time fire tenders from Banihal and Qazigund reached Jawahar Tunnel and started dousing the fire.
“It took nearly four hours to douse the fire, remove the truck from the tunnel and restore vehicular movement. Even prior to this incident, there was complete chaos on the highway particularly in Ramban-Banihal sector because of breaking down of some vehicles on the road,” police sources said.
