Panaji, Oct. 24: A tanker carrying 6,000 litres of highly inflammable aviation turbine fuel overturned on the Goa airport runway on Saturday night, forcing its partial closure and affecting operations.
The runway was shutdown for two-and-half hours after the Indian Oil Corporation’s tanker toppled on the runway at 2120 hrs spilling the fuel. “The tanker was heading towards civil terminal to refuel the parked aircraft,” an Indian Navy spokesman said.
Goa airport is managed by the Indian Navy, which operates its INS Hansa base from here.
The spokesman said that the incident left the wrecked tanker and thousands of litres of highly inflammable fuel on the runway making it unsuitable for operations. “The leaked fuel is likely to cause damage to runway surface and naval authorities are investigating the implications,” he said. A part of the runway has been made operational.