A moving truck loaded with iron rods caught fire on Tuesday near the Chordaha picket under Chauparan police station area on GT road, causing a temporary traffic disruption on the busy highway. The driver and cleaner jumped off the vehicle in time and escaped unhurt as flames rapidly engulfed the truck. Police confirmed that no casualties were reported, but the front portion of the truck was completely gutted. The truck was traveling from Ramgarh district to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, according to police.
Preliminary investigation points to short circuit or mechanical fault
Initial findings suggest that the fire might have been triggered by a short circuit or a mechanical fault in the engine. Upon receiving information, Chordaha picket in-charge Nitish Kumar alerted the fire brigade. However, due to the poor condition of the national highway stretch between Barhi and Chauparan, the fire tender took nearly an hour to reach the spot.
Traffic jam on NH-19 and diversion measures
The incident led to a long traffic jam on NH-19, as vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway. Police temporarily halted movement on the main carriageway and diverted traffic through the service road to ease congestion. The damaged vehicle has been seized, and further investigation into the incident has been initiated, Kumar said.
