National Highway Blocked for 24 Hours as Tanker Emergency Hits Amid Regional Gas Shortage

HUBBALLI, KARNATAKA –An emergency operation is underway near Kalghatgi after a significant fuel leak from an LPG transport vehicle forced the total closure of a primary National Highway. The incident, which began Friday and escalated through Saturday, March 21, 2026, has effectively has blocked a key route on the Gooty–Ankola Road.

​The disaster occurred at Tambur Cross, where a moving tanker began leaked pressurized gas into the atmosphere. Emergency crews arriving on the scene described a huge “vapour cloud” forming around the vessel, a phenomenon that occurs when liquid petroleum gas rapidly expands into its gaseous state upon contact with the air. Because the leak has remained active for over 24 hours, the Kalghatgi Police and Fire Services have established a wide exclusion zone, enforcing a strict ban on electronic devices and any potential heat sources to prevent a thermal explosion.

To ensure public safety, the district administration has implemented strategic traffic diversions that have significantly impacted regional travel. Vehicles traveling from Hubballi to Karwar are being rerouted via the Hubballi–Dharwad–Haliyal–Yellapur route. Conversely, traffic from Karwar to Hubballi is being diverted through Yellapur–Mundgod–Bankapur to eventually join NH-48. Commuters have been advised to avoid the Kalghatgi stretch entirely until emergency teams at the site issue a final clearance.

It is a particularly sensitive time as Hubballi and surrounding districts have been suffering from LPG shortage over the past week, due to the geopolitical tensions caused by the Israel – US – Iran war that have disrupted international supply. The shortage has already crippled the state’s hospitality sector. In Bengaluru and Hubballi, commercial LPG supply has plummeted from a daily requirement of 50,000 cylinders to just 1,000, forcing over 30% of local eateries to shut down. Residents, currently restricted by new rationing rules to one refill every 25 to 45 days, view the leaking tanker as a painful symbol of a precious resource literally “vanishing into thin air.”

As of Saturday evening, specialized technical teams from regional bottling plants are working to depressurize the vessel. No casualties have been reported, but the highway remains closed to civilian travel. Fire tenders remain on constant standby, and officials have warned that the route will only reopen once the “green signal” is issued by safety experts.