Vehicle with uranium ore rams into lorry on NH-5

SRIKAKULAM: Tension prevailed on the National Highway- 5 after a container vehicle of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) carrying uranium ore in crystalline form rammed into a private lorry at Kambakai village junction near Narasannapeta in Srikakulam district on Monday.However, no leakages or casualties were reported in the incident.The container of the CISF, Jharkhand unit was heading towards Hyderabad to supply uranium ore to the Defence Research and Development Organisation.Since the vehicle was carrying explosive material, two vehicles comprising CISF personnel were escorting the container from the front and rear.However, when the convoy just passed Narasannapeta town on the highway, a lorry suddenly came on to the road in between the pilot vehicle and the container vehicle at Kambakaya junction.In this process the driver of the container vehicle lost control over his vehicle and rammed the lorry.As a result, the axle of the container vehicle broke bringing the vehicles to a grinding halt blocking the national highway.Alerted by the locals, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) staff and local police blocked the vehicular movements on the highway, about one km from the accident spot.“An alternative vehicle from Itchapuram, about 100-km away from the spot has been brought to carry the container.Since the vehicle did not turn turtle after the incident, the container was not damaged,” Narasannapeta police inspector Murthy said.Vehicular traffic was disrupted for more than three hours on the busy NH-5 before police brought the situation under control.