A petrol pump near Attibele on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border caught fire after a Jaguar car crashed into a fuel dispenser, seriously injuring a station worker and prompting fire engines from both states to respond, police said.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night when Sanjay, a resident of Kudlu village, had gone to the station to fill up fuel, according to police. A station worker reportedly asked him to move the car slightly so it could be positioned near the fuel pump.
Police said Sanjay allegedly put the vehicle into reverse but pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The Jaguar then hit the fuel dispenser, triggering a fire that spread across the petrol station.
Sanjay and a female friend travelling with him escaped from the vehicle immediately and were not reported to have suffered injuries. The station worker, however, was seriously injured in the fire. No deaths were reported.
The blaze required a cross-border emergency response because of the station’s location near Attibele. Fire engines from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were pressed into service and managed to extinguish the fire, police said.
The incident highlights the immediate risks around fuel stations, where vehicle movement, refuelling operations and flammable fuel infrastructure are concentrated in a small area. The fire began after the vehicle struck the dispenser, making the positioning of vehicles within the station a critical part of the response and prevention chain.
Attibele police took Sanjay into custody and began investigating the circumstances of the crash. Police have attributed the collision to the alleged accelerator error, while the investigation will establish the sequence of events and any further responsibility.
