Pimpri-Chinchwad: Oil leakage from a tanker occurred in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, from the Phugewadi to Dehu Road stretch, late on Wednesday night, causing over 20 bikers to slip, fall and sustain injuries. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Fire Brigade worked diligently to clear it off in the early hours of Thursday.
According to fire brigade reports, the brigade was informed about the incident at around 11pm. Multiple bikers slipped and fell due to the oil on the busy road. However, officials noted that due to the Diwali holidays and the late hour, the highway was not crowded. Sources told The Free Press Journal that 24 bikers slipped, and over 30 people were injured. Some of them were taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, while others were admitted to nearby private hospitals. Their conditions are said to be stable.
The Fire Brigade worked diligently for three hours and cleared the highway under the guidance of Senior Fire Officers Rushikant Chipade and Gautam Ingawale.
Senior Fire Officer Gautam Ingawale told The FPJ, “We received the call at 11.30pm, and by then, a few accidents had already occurred. The oil was spilled intermittently for over 16 km. It was causing vehicles to slip, and there was also a danger of fire as the liquid was flammable. Vehicles from PCMC, Bhosari, Nehru Nagar, Talawade, and Pradhikaran Fire Stations were dispatched.”
When asked how the oil was cleared, Ingawale said, “Some of it was washed away; we poured mud and applied dusted wood (bhusa) on it to dry it up, eliminating the danger of vehicles slipping and the material catching fire.”
Fire officers brought the situation under control. In the morning, residents reported some dirt on the highway, but it did not cause any damage to vehicles. However, the fire brigade and police have urged citizens to drive cautiously on the Phugewadi–Dehu Road stretch. A major incident was averted, but before full measures were taken, several accidents had already occurred, officials noted.
