A petrol pump near Attibele on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border caught fire after a Jaguar car crashed into a fuel dispenser on Wednesday night, seriously injuring a station worker, police said. No deaths were reported, and the occupants of the car escaped from the vehicle before the blaze spread across the station.
According to police, the incident occurred when Sanjay, a resident of Kudlu village, had taken the car to the fuel station to fill up. A station worker reportedly asked him to move the vehicle slightly so it could be positioned near the fuel pump.
Police said Sanjay allegedly put the car into reverse but pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The vehicle then struck the fuel dispenser, triggering a fire at the station. The flames subsequently spread across the premises, according to the report.
Sanjay and a female friend travelling with him immediately got out of the car and escaped, police said. The station worker was seriously injured in the fire. The report did not provide details about the worker’s identity or current medical condition.
The blaze required a coordinated response from fire services in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, reflecting the station’s location near the inter-state border. Fire engines from the two states were deployed and managed to extinguish the fire.
The incident highlights the immediate safety risks at fuel stations, where a vehicle impact involving a dispenser can rapidly escalate into a fire. The available police account identifies the alleged driving error and the collision as the trigger, but does not provide further details on damage to the station, the quantity of fuel released or whether the facility was permitted to resume operations.
Attibele police have taken Sanjay into custody and are investigating the incident. Further action will depend on the police investigation into the crash, the fire and the circumstances surrounding the worker’s injuries.
