A fire broke out in a tipper truck in Panchkhal Municipality of Kavrepalanchok in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the District Police Office, Kavrepalanchok the incident occurred at around 12:30am near zipline area along the Araniko Highway.

The truck, loaded with sand and heading towards Bhaktapur, was driven by 27-year-old Navaraj Siwakoti from ward 7 of Kalinchowk Rural Municipality in Dolakha. The vehicle caught on fire when the driver stopped the truck to disconnect the fuel pump’s wire and fuse after the vehicle’s abnormal acceleration, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Min Bahadur Ghale, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Kavrepalanchok.

According to Ghale, although there were no human casualties, the truck sustained damage and the fire was brought under control by 1:30am after the police and fire brigade reached the scene.

Local eyewitnesses suggest that the driver’s quick decision to stop the vehicle prevented major fire damage.