Major Traffic Nightmare on Pune-Mumbai Expressway After Tanker Overturns
Commuters traveling between Pune and Mumbai faced an unprecedented ordeal as traffic on the crucial Pune-Mumbai expressway came to a grinding halt for over 32 hours following a serious accident involving a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene. The incident, which occurred near the Adoshi Tunnel on Tuesday afternoon, created massive disruptions affecting thousands of travelers of all ages and backgrounds.
Accident Details and Immediate Impact
The tanker overturned around 4:45 PM on Tuesday approximately 50 meters ahead of the Adoshi Tunnel in the Borghat stretch of the Khandala ghat section in Raigad district. The vehicle, which was transporting propylene from Kochi in Kerala to Dahej in Gujarat, suffered damage at three spots on its valve, leading to immediate gas leakage.
Authorities responded swiftly to the emergency, halting vehicular traffic on both the Mumbai-bound and Pune-bound carriageways due to serious safety concerns. This precautionary measure, while necessary, resulted in a massive traffic logjam spanning several kilometers that persisted throughout Tuesday night and most of Wednesday.
Rescue Operations and Delayed Resolution
Multiple agencies including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) officials, state disaster management teams, and fire brigade personnel rushed to the accident site. However, initial attempts to stop the gas leakage proved unsuccessful.
The situation remained critical until Wednesday evening when a team of chemical experts finally managed to transfer the remaining gas from the damaged tanker to a new vehicle. The highway police confirmed that this delicate operation concluded around 10:30 PM on Wednesday, with the damaged tanker's removal expected to be completed after midnight.
Human Impact and Commuter Stories
The extended closure created severe hardships for travelers, particularly vulnerable groups including children, senior citizens, and patients heading to Mumbai for medical treatment.
- 57-year-old Sunita Patil was stranded without food or water for over seven hours until her son Sandesh rode a two-wheeler (despite expressway restrictions) from Kharghar to rescue her around 1 AM on Wednesday.
- A commuter from Latur traveling with a cancer patient missed their 8 AM hospital appointment in Mumbai due to the road closure.
- Wasim Joad from Vimannagar received advance information about the congestion and took an alternative route via Tamhini Ghat, though his journey became significantly longer.
- Business executive Sushil Poddar from Pune Camp canceled his important Mumbai meeting after learning about the critical situation through social media and conversations with drivers.
Authorities' Response and Investigation
Highway police officials stated that the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the tanker's speed on the slope near the tunnel. Tanaji Chikhale, the highway superintendent of police, explained that authorities opened one lane from the Pune carriageway side for Mumbai-bound traffic by adjusting the median barrier while urging travelers to use alternative routes.
Bhalchandra Chavan, director of state disaster management, revealed that BPCL's delayed response in deploying its recovery van contributed to the prolonged crisis. BPCL officials offered a different perspective, explaining that their nearest registered company team from Deepak Phenolics Ltd attempted but failed to plug the multiple leakages, necessitating the gas transfer operation.
An FIR has been registered against the tanker driver, 44-year-old Ratan Singh Uday Narayan from Uttar Pradesh, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Motor Vehicles Act for rash and negligent driving. The driver sustained minor injuries in the accident.
Transportation Ripple Effects
The expressway closure created widespread disruptions across multiple transportation systems:
- MSRTC Services: 139 bus trips were canceled, with at least 163 buses from various depots affected. Services from Western Maharashtra and Konkan region were particularly impacted.
- Private Buses: Approximately 50 private buses from Pune and other locations remained stranded on the expressway.
- Railways: Intercity trains between Pune and Mumbai experienced unusually heavy crowding as travelers sought alternative transportation.
Transport officials expressed frustration about the lack of timely communication from authorities, which hampered their ability to make alternative arrangements for passengers.
Safety Concerns and Future Measures
Senior inspector Sachin Hire of Khopoli police station emphasized the potential disaster that could have occurred if the gas leakage had led to an explosion, which could have affected areas within 2-3 kilometers. The cooling process of the overturned tanker was carefully conducted under expert supervision before its planned removal using a hydraulic crane.
BPCL has announced that its Health, Safety, Security and Environment branch will conduct a detailed investigation into the incident to determine exact causes and recommend corrective measures. The company maintains that the tanker underwent mandatory checks before the journey and that the leakage resulted from the accident rather than any apparent design flaw.
The prolonged disruption on one of Maharashtra's busiest transportation corridors has highlighted the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to such incidents and raised questions about emergency response protocols for hazardous material transportation.
