NFCL management here has received appreciation from the West Godavari district authorities for its timely assistance in plugging the gas leakage from the Ammonium tanker

Kakinada, Apr 26: The Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (NFCL) management here has received appreciation from the West Godavari district authorities for its timely assistance in plugging the gas leakage from the Ammonium tanker that overturned along the Bypass road near Eluru on April 21. The NFCL has deputed it fire safety and rescue team to Eluru and took part along with other experts from national disaster management organisation in plugging the Ammonium leakage effectively. The team members had extended their expertise and fought jointly with the other experts for over 12 hours. The West Godavari District Collector Ms Vanimohan and Superintendent of Police Ramesh have complimented the NFCL team led by D K Mohanty for its efforts in averting a major chemical disaster, the NFCL said in a release here

Ammonium tanker overturns near Eluru

Monday, 22 April 2013 15:44.

A mega tanker carrying ammonium (ion NH4) overturned near Eluru in West Godavari district on Sunday night causing disruption of vehicular traffic on the national highway.

The tanker vehicle turned turtle as the driver swerved the vehicle in a bid to avoid hitting a stationary RTC bus. 

The tanker hit the divider and overturned. As the alkali metal ion started leaking from the tanker, nobody dared to go closer to the tanker. The National disaster management team reached the spot in the morning and managed to cap by plugging leakage only in the afternoon. Sprinkling of water was continuing on the tanker to subdue the impact of gas. 

As a result of the ammonium gas leakage, people in the surroundings complained eye-burning and vomiting. Vehicles stranded on the highway till the afternoon. Later, the traffic police diverted the vehicles on another route. The tanker driver was on the run. The truck drivers complained that they were waiting on the road since Sunday night, but no effort was made to clear the traffic.

 

Truck transporting the chemical meets with an accident

The leakage of anhydrous ammonia while in transit on the Kolkata-Chennai National Highway-5 near Asram Medical College on the city outskirts triggered panic. The liquid-turned gas kept gushing out when the lids of the three out of four chambers of the tanker containing the chemical opened up following an accident involving a truck in which it was being transported. It all started at 8 p.m. on Sunday and lasted till 1-30 p.m. on Monday.

The container got detached from the truck and fell sideways across the highway after the vehicle hit the divider while overtaking a stationary APSRTC bus.

Soon, ammonia in liquid form under pressurised condition in the tanker turned into gas with the leakage that went on for nearly 20 hours, keeping on toes personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Fire Services, police, and the Department of Factories.

The substance was being transported from Gujarat State Fertilizers Corporation at Baroda to a private plant in Srikakulam district for conversion into ammonium nitrate for use to manufacture explosives.

“We could not prevent leakage of gas but could avert a major catastrophe,” said West Godavari district Superintendent of Police M. Ramesh.

There were no casualties and city DSP M. Rajani attributed it to the accident occurring far away from human habitations.

D. Ravindranath, Executive Engineer of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, said the vehicle was carrying 15 tonnes of ammonia.

Traffic jam

The accident led to a huge pile-up of traffic -- from Hanuman Junction in Krishna district to Unguruturu in West Godavari district. Movement of people was restricted within a radius of three km on both sides from the place of accident as a measure of precaution. Eight fire tenders were deployed from Krishna, East and West Godavari districts.