Kaushambi: At least four people lost their lives while two others sustained injuries after a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker caught fire near the Sirohi Toll Plaza in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the horrifying sequence in which the tanker developed a massive gas leak before erupting into flames within seconds.

CCTV Shows Leak Before Massive Explosion

The incident, which occurred on June 26, 2026, was captured by surveillance cameras installed at the toll plaza. The footage shows dense white LPG vapours escaping rapidly from the tanker moments before a powerful explosion engulfed the vehicle. Within seconds, the fire spread across the toll booths, creating panic among commuters and toll staff.

Vehicles Destroyed, Toll Plaza Staff Trapped

The blaze destroyed 16 motorcycles and two cars parked in the vicinity. According to officials, the tanker was travelling from Kanpur to Varanasi when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle. It rammed into the central divider, overturned and crashed into the toll plaza.

Police said the impact triggered a significant LPG leak that spread quickly before igniting, resulting in a massive fire that engulfed the surrounding area. The entire incident was recorded on CCTV.

Death Toll Rises to Four

The tanker driver, identified as Dharmendra Dwivedi from Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly trapped inside the cabin after the crash and died at the scene as he was unable to escape the flames.

Five toll plaza employees sustained severe burn injuries and were rushed to Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital in Prayagraj for treatment.

On Thursday, two of the injured employees — Hiramani Singh, a resident of Raebareli, and Krishnapal Maurya from Lalitpur — succumbed to their injuries, taking the death toll to four. The remaining two injured toll workers continue to receive treatment at the hospital.

Police have sent the bodies for postmortem examination, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

Huge Fire Triggered Panic

Officials said the tanker was moving at an estimated speed of 60-70 kmph when it struck the central divider, overturned and slammed into the toll plaza. The collision caused LPG to leak from the tanker, followed by a powerful explosion that set the vehicle and large portions of the toll plaza ablaze.

The fire generated towering flames and thick black smoke that could reportedly be seen from nearly two kilometres away. The blaze quickly spread to the toll plaza yard and an adjoining toilet block, trapping several employees.

As panic gripped the area, commuters abandoned their vehicles and fled to safety, while long queues of buses and cars formed on both sides of the toll plaza amid the chaos.