By The News Observer Desk,
In the misty curves of Uttara Kannada's Arabail Ghat, what started as a routine morning drive turned into a nightmare for drivers on Saturday. A tanker lost control on a sharp bend, slamming into an oncoming truck and sparking a messy chain reaction that left vehicles tangled and traffic at a standstill.
https://youtu.be/04OBiZTkVC4
It all unfolded around 8:15 a.m., as the tanker rumbled from Yellapur toward Ankola along the winding ghat road in Yellapur taluk. Witnesses say the driver probably never saw it coming—the vehicle suddenly veered out of control on one of those notoriously tricky turns that make this stretch a driver's worst enemy. Early reports point to a possible brake failure, though officials are still piecing it together.
The impact was brutal. The tanker smashed head-on into a truck heading the opposite way, crumpling metal and sending debris flying. But that was just the beginning. The force rippled backward, catching a handful of trailing vehicles off guard. Cars and trucks piled into one another in a frantic scramble to stop, turning the road into a chaotic gridlock. For a while, it was pure pandemonium—no one hurt badly enough to make headlines yet, but the backup stretched for what felt like miles. Local cops rushed in to untangle the mess, and by late morning, things were starting to clear up. Still, it's a stark reminder of how unforgiving these ghat roads can be, especially with heavy loads like tankers barreling through.
Authorities are urging drivers to take it slow on the ghats and double-check those brakes. If you're heading that way, keep an eye on updates—better safe than stuck.
Videography and reporting by Saikiran Babrekar
