Khopoli: A major accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the wee hours of Monday claimed two lives and left an 80-year-old woman seriously injured after a container truck overturned and was then hit by another truck, triggering hours of traffic disruption on one of Maharashtra's busiest highways.
According to preliminary information, the accident occurred around 4:30 am near Khopoli when a container vehicle lost control and overturned on the expressway. Moments later, another truck rammed into the overturned vehicle, resulting in a devastating collision that killed two occupants of the truck on the spot.
The driver of the rice-laden truck, which was travelling from Pune towards Mumbai, lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a container truck ahead of it. The truck driver and cleaner died on the spot. The container driver and two travellers from Ertiga received serious injuries. Traffic of all four lanes was affected due to the spillage of rice and oil for around an hour after which one by one lanes were cleared.
An elderly woman, aged around 80, travelling in a passing car, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was rushed for medical treatment. Her condition is reported to be critical.
Videos From Accident Site Show Mangled Vehicles
Videos and drone footage from the accident site, now widely circulating online, show the scale of the destruction. One of the trucks was completely mangled due to the impact and was later moved to the side of the road by rescue teams. The visuals also captured a massive traffic jam stretching for kilometres behind the accident spot, with vehicles crawling through the affected stretch.
The accident led to a major oil spill after hundreds of oil canisters being transported in the container were scattered across the roadway. Several litres of oil leaked onto the expressway, creating hazardous driving conditions and complicating rescue and clearance operations.
Traffic police, highway authorities and emergency response teams rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale operation to remove the damaged vehicles, clear the spilled oil and restore normal traffic movement. Personnel could be seen removing debris from the road while police monitored the area and began an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Traffic Movement Affected Due To Accident
Despite efforts to manage the situation, traffic movement remained slow for several hours, causing inconvenience to motorists travelling between Mumbai and Pune. Authorities diverted vehicles and regulated traffic flow to prevent further accidents near the affected stretch. Police have launched a probe to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the collision.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, one of the country's busiest corridors, has witnessed several major accidents in recent times, prompting repeated calls for stricter safety measures and enhanced monitoring of heavy vehicles operating on the route. Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
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