Malappuram: The swift action and timely intervention by a Kerala ‘Muezzin’ averted a major blaze after he cautioned locals about a gas leakage due to an overturned LPG tanker in Malappuram district’s Chelari area in the wee hours of Friday.
Thirty-year-old Muhammad Ali Chonari, who has been working as a ‘Muezzin’ (one who is appointed at a mosque to lead and recite the call to prayer) at Panambra Juma Masjid woke up at 2:35 am on hearing a loud noise followed by the smell of gas leakage.
Sensing possibilities of a fire mishap, Ali rushed to the spot with water.
“When I reached the spot, I saw a huge tanker lying overturned with a strong smell of gas, but the driver who hurt his back was trying to turn the ignition off as the gas was leaking fast,” he said, adding that it took some time to turn the ignition off.
To seek help, Ali tried to stop vehicles which were passing by but no one stopped after realising that it was a gas tanker that has overturned. Besides, the tanker tumbled at a low-lying area for which it was not too noticeable.
Fire and rescue operations began only after a police vehicle arrived at the spot. The injured driver was also taken to a hospital, said Ali.
Soon after the rescue operation started, the young ‘Muezzin’ rushed back to the mosque and began alerting people living in its vicinity using the mosque loudspeakers.
“Since the power supply was tripped in the area I asked the residents to desist from using any kind of fire or electrical appliances in their houses, including power backup systems,” said Ali.
The tanker driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve at Panambra in the National Highway.
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