Accident on Delhi‑Lucknow Highway causes spillage; authorities clear site
A tanker loaded with vanaspati ghee overturned on the Delhi‑Lucknow Highway in Moradabad on Wednesday around 12:00 pm, scattering its cargo across several metres of the road and attracting a large number of local residents to the scene, police said.
The vehicle, which was travelling from Haryana to Rudrapur, reportedly went out of control while the driver attempted to avoid a pedestrian on the Ramganga bridge within the city limits. The tanker broke through a central divider, crossed to the opposite carriageway and toppled, according to the City SP, Ran Vijay Singh.
City SP Ran Vijay Singh said the driver turned the tanker while trying to avoid a person crossing the road on the Ramganga bridge in Moradabad; during this manoeuvre the vehicle went out of control, broke through the divider, crossed to the other side and overturned.
Video footage and still images from the scene showed ghee spread across the road surface and bystanders arriving with buckets and containers to collect the spilled product. Police personnel and a crane reached the site to manage traffic, recover the tanker and clear the spillage, the official said. No injuries were reported.
Response and clearance operations
- Traffic was stopped at the scene while a crane was used to set the tanker upright and remove it from the carriageway.
- Police personnel managed the crowd and coordinated the clean‑up of the vegetable‑ghee that had leaked across several metres of the road.
- The incident prompted multiple vehicles to halt on the highway, causing temporary disruption to movement on a busy intercity route.
Authorities said the tanker was subsequently righted with a crane and the ghee cleared from the road surface to restore normal traffic operations. No further details on the tanker owner or driver were provided in the initial report.
Local safety and public‑order implications
While the accident itself did not cause injuries, the gathering of people to collect spilled ghee raised public‑order and hygiene questions. Mass congregations on a high‑speed intercity highway can create additional hazards for other road users and for those on foot, particularly near a bridge and central divider. The incident underscores the risks that follow hazardous spillage on major thoroughfares and the need for rapid traffic management and crowd control in such situations.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| ~12:00 pm | Tanker overturns on Ramganga bridge stretch of Delhi‑Lucknow Highway |
| Shortly after | Ghee spills across several metres; locals arrive to collect product |
| Police response | Police and crane arrive; tanker uprighted and spillage cleared; no injuries reported |
Road users and residents in the vicinity were advised to expect temporary delays while recovery operations were under way. The City SP provided the primary factual account of the sequence leading to the overturning, attributing the incident to the driver attempting to avoid a person crossing the road.
Further administrative follow‑up — including any FIR, insurance claims or action related to traffic rules and crowd control — will depend on the detailed report prepared by the local police after completion of the on‑site investigation and recovery operations.
The episode adds to concerns about road safety on busy intercity corridors that pass through Moradabad, highlighting how a single vehicle mishap can quickly create large public gatherings and traffic disruption. Authorities typically urge motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution on bridges and stretches with central dividers, and for commercial drivers to maintain speeds and spacing that allow safe avoidance of obstacles.
City residents are advised to monitor official traffic updates on the Delhi‑Lucknow Highway and to follow police instructions in the event of similar incidents to avoid risk to life and further congestion.
