India, March 5 -- A potential disaster was averted on Wednesday morning after a tanker carrying a hazardous chemical developed a gas leak near Theur Phata on the Pune-Solapur highway.

The incident occurred around 10.40 am when the tanker, travelling from Solapur to Pune, veered off the road and got stuck in mud along the highway stretch. The impact allegedly damaged the tanker's main valve, triggering a leak of monomethylamine (MMA), a highly flammable and hazardous gas.

As the pungent odour spread in the area, panic gripped motorists and nearby residents. Traffic movement on the busy stretch was briefly affected.

Upon receiving information, a team from the Wagholi fire station of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMR...