Police said the tanker coming from Mangalore collided with the car, toppled and exploded. The fire spread within minutes in the area, engulfing a row of shops and a few houses. A police jeep and 10 motorcycles parked in the area were also gutted.

Deceased Rashid, 32, was engaged in rescue operations, police said, adding most of the injured were local people, who tried to fight the flames. The injured also included four people in the car.

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Traffic on the busy National Highway passing through the area has been held up and train traffic between Kollam and Kayankulam has also been stopped, they said.

The services of fire force personnel from Kollam and nearby districts have been requisitioned to fight the blaze. The injured have been admitted to Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital and other hospitals in the area.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishan said the condition of five injured persons was serious. A few policemen also suffered burns, he said.