Mettur, 2 January, 2012 — A public transport bus rammed against and broke the valve of an acid tanker allegedly from Chemplast’s Plant III leading to a massive spill onto the road and a nearby canal leading to the River Cauvery. The accident happened at around 7.30 p.m. in front of Chemplast’s Plant II. No injuries were reported. With police and fire service arriving within a short time, the damaged tanker lorry bearing license Number TN 30S 4917 was seen driving into the nearby Plant II. The tanker belonged to a company called “Angalamman,” according to sources at the scene of the incident. The accident happened even as the acid tanker was changing track to move to the right side of the road to halt, without turning on any indicator. A public transport bus (TN 30N 1041) that was coming behind the tanker braked suddenly. Another acid tanker (TN37 AP-3835), allegedly also from Chemplast’s Plant III, that was following close behind the bus rammed into the bus, sending the braking bus crashing into the first acid tanker’s rear severing the release valve used to empty the tanker’s contents.
“The fire service cleared the place using some white powder,” said Ganesan, a member of GWADU, a local farmers’ organisation. “But by that time, the acid had already flowed into the drain opposite Plant II.” Residents of Samballi, located along the drain, reported a strong chemical odour emanating from the canal.