Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 15: A major fish oil spill from a transport canter turned the main road in Ullal into a hazardous zone on Thursday night, causing several vehicles to skid and sparking massive protests by enraged locals.

The incident occurred when a massive quantity of fish oil leaked from a canter transporting the oil from a fish meal factory in Kotepura towards the Mangaluru port, reportedly due to a technical snag.

The spill covered the entire stretch from Ullal Abbakka Circle to Ullal Bail. The slippery surface caused severe danger to motorists, leading to several two-wheeler and three-wheeler riders skidding and sustaining injuries.

Enraged by the danger posed to the public, local residents intercepted the canter at Ullal Bail and staged a protest. Even as oil worth lacs of rupees continued to leak onto the road, efforts were initiated to transfer the remaining oil to another vehicle.

Consequently, vehicular movement on the one-way stretch from Abbakka Circle to Ullal Bail was temporarily suspended to prevent further mishaps.

Speaker U T Khader expresses regret, demands action

Karnataka legislative assembly speaker and local MLA U T Khader expressed deep regret over the incident and the injuries sustained by the motorists.

Taking serious note of the hazard, Khader has directed the Mangaluru police commissioner to initiate strict legal action against the owners of both the container and the fish meal factory. Furthermore, he demanded that the factory owners must bear the complete medical expenses of all the injured riders.

"While we completely support industrial development in Ullal, any activities that disrupt public life, endanger safety, or cause inconvenience to the citizens will not be tolerated under any circumstances," Khader warned, while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.