Srikakulam, October 23: Three persons were charred while two others are also feared trapped in the fire that broke out after a fuel tanker met with an accident and exploded on the Visakhapatnam-Itchapuram highway late on Thursday night.
According to the police, the three victims were residents of nearby Baligam village and were sitting on the roadside when the mishap occurred.
The tanker was proceeding towards Itchapuram when it rammed into a railing and overturned on the highway at Baligam junction in Mandasa mandal of the district.
‘‘Fuel spilled out of the tanker and got ignited by the sparks that emanated as the vehicle skidded on the road,’’ Palasa deputy superintendent of police B D V Sagar said.
Soon, the tanker exploded spreading the flames. The tanker was being driven rashly, he said.
The three villagers were caught in the flames and charred beyond recognition.
The whereabouts of the driver and the cleaner of the tanker are not yet known.
However, police suspect that the duo might have also been caught in the flames.
Fire-fighters and the district police have been battling to bring the flames under control till last reports came in.
–Agencies