What happened here
Around 4 am on 19 October 2026, a milk tanker hit the back of a gas tanker near Nandesari, Vadodara, damaging a valve and releasing gas on the expressway. Police and the fire brigade cordoned the stretch and stopped traffic. Reports differ on LPG or LNG, on the road name and on how long it stayed shut (eight hours, until 3 pm, or 24 hours). No injuries were reported.
Quick answers
Was it an LPG or an LNG tanker?
Reports differ. Gujarat Samachar and Sandesh say LPG. Zee 24 Kalak says LNG. TV9 Gujarati says only gas. No official statement on the gas was found as of 19 October 2026.
Which expressway was closed?
Gujarat Samachar and Zee 24 Kalak say the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. Sandesh and TV9 Gujarati say the Bharat Mala expressway or highway. They may be the same road.
How long was the road closed?
Reports differ: over eight hours (Gujarat Samachar), until 3 pm (Sandesh), 24 hours (TV9 Gujarati headline). As of 19 October 2026 we have not found when it reopened.
Was anyone hurt?
No injuries were reported in coverage reviewed on 19 October 2026, according to the reports we read. This is not an official statement.
What should I do if I see a gas tanker leaking?
Stay at least 100 metres away, switch off engines, keep every flame and spark away, move upwind or at right angles to the wind, stay out of low ground, and call 112 or 101 from a safe distance.
What happened
Early on Monday, 19 October 2026, a milk tanker rammed into the back of a gas tanker near Nandesari, in Vadodara district, Gujarat. The impact damaged a valve on the gas tanker and the gas began to leak onto the road. As of 19 October 2026, no injury had been reported in the coverage we could find.
Gujarat Samachar said the crash was at around 4 am and that the gas tanker was travelling from Dahej to Jaipur. The same report calls the damaged part the “main discharge valve” in one line and the “rear valve” in another, so we do not name the part here.
LPG or LNG, and which road?
The reports do not agree, and none of them is an official statement. Gujarat Samachar (English) and Sandesh (Gujarati) call it an LPG tanker, that is liquefied petroleum gas, the fuel in kitchen cylinders. Zee 24 Kalak, in the description of its video, calls it an LNG tanker, which is liquefied natural gas. TV9 Gujarati only says “gas”. This page uses LPG because two written reports say so, but the gas has not been officially confirmed.
The road is also named differently. Gujarat Samachar and Zee 24 Kalak say the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, while Sandesh and TV9 Gujarati say the Bharat Mala (Bharatmala) expressway or highway. They may be describing the same road. TV9 Gujarati places the spot near Fajalpur, while the other three say Nandesari. We have used “near Nandesari”, and we do not have a kilometre marker.
Response
Nandesari police and the Vadodara Fire Brigade (TP-13 station) reached the spot, cordoned off the stretch and stopped traffic, according to Gujarat Samachar. The report says responders kept the area sealed and let the gas vent before bringing in recovery equipment, because plugging the valve by hand would be a serious fire risk. Station Officer Kiran Baria is named in that report, which paraphrases him.
Sandesh reported that fire crews sprayed water over the gas cloud to cut the risk of sparks, and that a technical team from the gas company was working to seal the leak and move the remaining gas into an empty tanker. It also said travellers and nearby villagers panicked and ran. Traffic was sent onto the old national highway and internal roads. No formal evacuation was mentioned in any report we read.
How long was the road shut?
This is where the reports differ most, and the tip that led us to this story spoke of a 24-hour closure. Sandesh said the road would stay closed until 3 pm. Gujarat Samachar said it had been shut for over eight hours and the leak was still active when it wrote. TV9 Gujarati’s headline says the expressway was shut for 24 hours. Zee 24 Kalak said one side was closed. As of 19 October 2026, we have not found a report saying when the road actually reopened.
The people
No injuries or deaths were reported in the coverage we reviewed. Sandesh says so directly, and the on-screen text in the TV9 Gujarati video points the same way. This is based on news reports, not a medical or police statement. We have not found the driver’s name, any FIR or any arrest.
Why this matters
LPG is stored under pressure as a liquid. When it escapes it turns to gas that is heavier than air, so it spreads along the ground and collects in low places, as the Emergency Response Guidebook explains. It also ignites easily. On 20 December 2024, a leak from an LPG tanker on the Jaipur–Ajmer highway turned into a vapour cloud fire; see our case study on the Jaipur–Ajmer Highway LPG tanker fire, where 20 people died according to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) record. At Nandesari no fire was reported, and that is what stopping traffic and keeping ignition sources away is meant to achieve.
Gujarat also carries heavy chemical and gas traffic from Dahej and other industrial belts. For the wider record of such leaks, see gas leaks in India since Vizag 2020, and for an earlier serious crash on another Gujarat expressway, see the Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway accident near Nadiad.
If you see a gas tanker leaking
These steps come from the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG 2024, Guide 115, flammable gases) and from chemical-accident precautions based on the NDMA guidelines. Where they differ in wording, follow what the police and fire officers on the spot tell you.
- Stop and keep away. The ERG says to isolate a leak area for at least 100 metres in all directions. For a large leak it says to consider evacuating at least 800 metres downwind. If a tank is on fire, it says 1,600 metres (about a mile) in all directions.
- No ignition source. The ERG tells responders to eliminate all ignition sources: no smoking, flares, sparks or flames. In practice, do not light a cigarette or a stove, and do not start or run an engine near the leak. Switch off your engine and leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. This last part is our reading of the guidance, not a quote.
- Move away the right way. The ERG says to stay upwind, uphill or upstream. The NDMA-based precautions say to move calmly and quickly at right angles to the wind, along the escape route, and to hold a wet cloth over your face. Do not go down into drains, underpasses or low ground, because this gas settles there.
- Call for help from a safe distance. Dial 112 for any emergency, 101 for the fire service, 100 for police and 108 for an ambulance. Tell them the road, the nearest town and what the tanker carries, if you can read it.
- Stay indoors if you live nearby and cannot leave. The NDMA-based precautions say people who cannot evacuate should stay inside with doors and windows shut, and wait for instructions.
- Do not try to fix it. Leave the valve, the tanker and the gas cloud to the fire service and the gas company’s team. Do not walk into the cloud to look.
- At home. A kitchen cylinder leak needs different steps; see kitchen gas leak accidents and prevention.
What is still not known
As of 19 October 2026 we have not found: the time the road reopened; whether the gas was LPG or LNG; the exact spot; the driver’s details; any FIR; or any statement from the Vadodara collector, NHAI or the gas company. We also have not found any Gujarat DISH, PESO or PNGRB statement on this incident. We will update this page when official information appears.
- Milk tanker hits the rear of a gas tanker near Nandesari; gas begins to leak (Gujarat Samachar)
- Nandesari police and Vadodara Fire Brigade cordon the stretch and stop traffic
- Water sprayed over the gas cloud; gas company team works to seal the leak and move gas to an empty tanker (Sandesh)
- TV9 Gujarati and Zee 24 Kalak publish video reports on YouTube
- Sandesh reports closure until 3 pm; Gujarat Samachar says shut over eight hours with the leak still active
- No report of the road reopening found
Why consequences escalated
- A milk tanker hit the rear of a gas tanker and a valve was damaged, according to Gujarat Samachar and Sandesh.
- Two outlets say LPG and one says LNG; the gas has not been officially confirmed.
- The stretch was cordoned and traffic stopped to keep ignition sources away while the gas vented.
- No injuries were reported, and no formal evacuation was mentioned.
- Closure estimates range from eight hours to 24 hours; the actual reopening time is not known.
Failures and risk multipliers
- Driving into a cordoned stretch or stopping close to a leaking tanker to look.
- Lighting a cigarette or stove, or starting an engine, near a gas leak.
- Going into low ground or drains where heavier-than-air gas collects.
- Trying to plug a valve by hand instead of waiting for trained responders.
- Repeating an unverified gas type or closure time as fact.
Actions that reduce risk
- Keep at least 100 metres away from a leaking gas tanker and move upwind or at right angles to the wind.
- Switch off engines, put out flames and keep every spark away.
- Call 112, 101 (fire), 100 (police) or 108 (ambulance) from a safe distance.
- Follow the police diversion and do not stop to watch.
- If you live nearby and cannot leave, stay indoors with doors and windows shut until told otherwise.
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