Champua: A truck driver had a close shave with death Tuesday when the vehicle he was driving caught fire on the middle of the road at Rajia under this police limits in Keonjhar district. Eye-witnesses said that the truck (No. JH-12E-2350) carrying iron ore from Joda was on its way to Jharkhand via Remuli in Keonjhar district. However, the vehicle suddenly caught fire at Rajia Square. The blaze was so intense that the fire quickly spread to the fuel tank.
Sensing danger, the driver stopped the vehicle and had just managed to jump out when the fuel tank exploded and the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Locals led by the sarpanch Santosh Kumar Naik rushed to the spot and informed the fire personnel. Later, Fire department personnel and police reached the spot and doused the fire with the help of local residents.