Panic prevailed near Akkayyapalem on Friday morning when a cement-laden lorry and a bike caught fire on one of the busiest stretches of the National Highway running through the city.
Fortunately, the biker and the driver of the lorry escaped with minor injuries.
The police said the driver of the lorry lost control over the vehicle allegedly due to over-speeding and hit the motorcyclist.
The lorry also dragged the bike a couple of metres, and in the impact the petrol tank of the two-wheeler broke and caught fire. Later, the lorry was also engulfed in fire and both the vehicles were gutted.
The incident triggered panic among the residents and passing motorists, and affected the traffic for about an hour. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The Forth-Town police said biker was injured in the incident after the lorry hit the bike and the driver of the lorry jumped from the vehicle to save his skin.
A case has been registered and investigation is on.
