New Delhi:

A truck carrying 18 tonnes of tomatoes overturned on the highway in Uttar Pradesh late Tuesday night, leading to a chaotic scene as the produce scattered across the road. To stop nearby villagers from pilfering the tomatoes, currently selling at Rs 100 a kilo, policemen kept watch all night.

The incident took place near Kanpur around 10 PM. A woman, Sonal, who was riding a scooter, was injured. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The truck driver, Arjun, said he was transporting the tomatoes from Bengaluru to Delhi. The vehicle flipped when he swerved to avoid a cow on the road. “No one was seriously injured,” Arjun said. “My helper suffered minor injuries, but the woman behind us collided with the truck and got hurt.”

Local police rushed to secure the area soon after the incident before the scattered tomatoes could trigger a looting spree. Officers established a perimeter around the truck and patrolled through the night to prevent theft, highlighting the concerns about food prices amid rising inflation.

The police’s unusual protective measures caught attention on social media, with videos of officers standing vigil over the tomatoes going viral.