Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, May 17: A scrap-laden lorry travelling on the NH-75 National Highway near Melkaar in Bantwal was suddenly engulfed in flames on Sunday evening, reducing the entire consignment to ashes.
The lorry was transporting scrap materials from Mangaluru to Bengaluru when it reportedly developed a technical snag mid-journey, which is suspected to have triggered the blaze.
Within moments, the fire spread rapidly through the vehicle, completely gutting the scrap materials loaded inside.
Preliminary suspicions point to batteries mixed within the scrap load as a possible source of the accidental fire, officials said.
On receiving information, personnel of the Bantwal Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and managed to douse the flames, preventing further spread along the highway.