Guwahati: Mizoram Police apprehended a person for allegedly lighting a lighter in the middle of the road close to a tanker truck that killed 11 people in the Turial area of the state’s Aizawl district.
According to the police, a Tank Lorry carrying 22,000 litres of gasoline that was supposed to be delivered to Champhai at 4:35 pm on October 29 encountered an accident near Tuirial Airfield by turning turtle on the main road, spilling gasoline on the road’s surface. Around 5.50 pm, a large crowd had gathered to collect and store the gasoline that had spilled when it suddenly caught fire, killing four people there and then.
After the injured people were immediately taken to separate hospitals for treatment the police team and fire tenders arrived on the scene to put down the raging fire.
“The Place of Occurrence (PO) was minutely inspected with the help of FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) Team. Prima facie, it appeared that the cause of the accident the truck was rash and negligent driving on the part of the driver and when the people started collecting the spilling petrol, someone apparently lit a lighter or was smoking, etc., which ignited the highly inflammable petrol, resulting in the very unfortunate and tragic accident leading to loss and severe burn injuries to precious human lives,” the police said in its statement.
The Bawngkawn Police launched an inquiry right away and at midnight on November 1st, acting on information from a trustworthy source, they detained TBC Lallawmawma (28) of the Tuirial.
“During sustained interrogation, the accused admitted his guilt on the morning of 2.11.2022 at about 11:00 am, stating that on a fateful day, he went to collect the spilling petrol from the Tank Lorry; however, as there was a huge crowd engaged in collecting the spilling petrol and due to the chaos, he was unable to get enough petrol. Infuriated, he came out in the middle of the road and lit a lighter and exposed it to a plastic water bottle containing some quantity of petrol collected by him and being carried by him, just to test whether it could burn or not,” the police said.
He flung the flaming bottle onto the ground as the gasoline took fire which ultimately led to the major fire mishap, it continued.
The accused tried to hang himself from a tree close to his house after the police mentioned about the casualties. But as soon as his wife and friend saw him they freed him by releasing the rope.
According to the police, the accused was transferred to judicial custody on November 3 after all necessary procedures were followed in accordance with sections 279, 285, 304A, 336, 337, 338 and 435 of the Indian Penal Code and section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Meanwhile,11 people have been found dead as a result of the fire disastertill now including the four who passed away immediately and the seven others who are still receiving medical attention.
“The person who lit a lighter in the middle of the road near the Tank Lorry was rounded up. He admitted to his guilt on November 2 stating that it was done inadvertently,” it said further adding that the accused has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
According to information provided by the police, two two-wheelers and a four-wheel taxi were also damaged on the day of the incident on October 29.
“At least four people died and 10 others were injured in a fire incident in Tuirial, Aizawl district, after a tanker carrying petrol caught fire. A four-wheeler tax and two two-wheelers also got damaged in the accident,” Aizawl Superintendent of Police C Lalruaia said on October 29.