Mumbai–Pune Expressway traffic chaos after gas tanker overturns; passengers stranded for hours

Representative Image (Photo Credit: Freepik)

Traffic was brought to a standstill overnight on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway after a gas tanker overturned in the Khandala Ghat stretch, stranding hundreds of vehicles and triggering heavy congestion on both carriageways, as per the officials on Wednesday.

The vehicles could not able to move near the accident spot for several hours, leaving passengers without the access to food, water, or toilet facilities, Hindustan Times reported. 

As per the expressway control room, the gas tanker accident on Tuesday evening prompted the diversion of Mumbai-bound traffic onto the Pune-bound carriageway for about a 2-km stretch. 

Add Zee News as a Preferred Source

However, normal traffic flow could not be restored because of a continuous gas leak from the tanker, leading to long queues and slow-moving traffic for more than 12 hours, including for motorists heading towards Pune, an official said.

The incident had a major impact on motorists, resulting many passengers stranded for hours.

According to the expressway control room, the tanker overturned on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway around 5 pm on Tuesday.

The accident took place near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad district when the tanker, reportedly moving at high speed, lost control on the slope and tipped over. Officials said gas began leaking from the tanker shortly after the crash, sparking panic among motorists.

The tanker was filled with propylene gas, which is highly inflammable. Given the need of precautionary measures, the Police instantly closed the movement towards Mumbai to avoid any unexpected accident.

Several motorist took the social media and expressed their frustration, with some calling the expressway as a "parking lot" and advising other people to not travel  if not necessary. 

Motorists heading towards Pune were also affected by the traffic jams.