Video: Massive 22-km jam on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, vehicles stuck for over 24 hours
Traffic movement on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway was thrown into chaos for over 24 hours after a gas tanker turned turtle, resulting in a massive jam extending more than 22 kilometres and leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded overnight.
Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway remained paralysed for more than 24 hours after a gas tanker overturned on the busy corridor, triggering a massive traffic jam that has now stretched between 20 and 22 kilometres, according to officials and visuals shared by authorities.
The accident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday in the Khandala Ghat section in Raigad district when a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas allegedly lost control on a slope and overturned. Soon after the crash, gas began leaking from the tanker, prompting authorities to shut the Mumbai-bound carriageway as a safety measure.
Even after a full day, the traffic situation has shown little improvement. Drone visuals released by officials on Wednesday clearly showed long queues of stranded vehicles extending up to 20–22 km on the expressway, underscoring the scale of the disruption.
Emergency response teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) were rushed to the site to contain the leak. Officials said that by Wednesday morning, only about 50 per cent of the gas had been safely released, and operations to neutralise the remaining load were continuing on a war footing.
The prolonged shutdown brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the 94.5-km access-controlled expressway connecting Mumbai and Pune. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded overnight, leaving passengers — including women and children — without access to food, water or toilet facilities.
A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus conductor told news agency PTI around midnight that their bus had been stuck near the accident site for over six hours. Several commuters also took to social media to describe the expressway as resembling a “parking lot” and urged others to avoid travel on the route.
Due to the closure, Mumbai-bound vehicles were diverted onto the Pune-bound carriageway for a short stretch. However, the continuous gas leak prevented full restoration of traffic. As congestion worsened, authorities began diverting vehicles to the old Mumbai–Pune Highway and regulating movement through intermittent blocks of 15 to 20 minutes.
Highway police said traffic had been halted for nearly 5 km around the accident site on expert advice to ensure safety during the gas-handling operation. The Mumbai-bound stretch near Khandala remained closed, resulting in long queues and slow movement even for Pune-bound traffic.
The Maharashtra Highway Traffic Police have appealed to commuters to avoid the Mumbai-Pune Expressway until normal traffic is restored, warning that clearance operations are still underway and delays are likely to continue.
Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway remained paralysed for more than 24 hours after a gas tanker overturned on the busy corridor, triggering a massive traffic jam that has now stretched between 20 and 22 kilometres, according to officials and visuals shared by authorities.
The accident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday in the Khandala Ghat section in Raigad district when a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas allegedly lost control on a slope and overturned. Soon after the crash, gas began leaking from the tanker, prompting authorities to shut the Mumbai-bound carriageway as a safety measure.
Even after a full day, the traffic situation has shown little improvement. Drone visuals released by officials on Wednesday clearly showed long queues of stranded vehicles extending up to 20–22 km on the expressway, underscoring the scale of the disruption.
Emergency response teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) were rushed to the site to contain the leak. Officials said that by Wednesday morning, only about 50 per cent of the gas had been safely released, and operations to neutralise the remaining load were continuing on a war footing.
The prolonged shutdown brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the 94.5-km access-controlled expressway connecting Mumbai and Pune. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded overnight, leaving passengers — including women and children — without access to food, water or toilet facilities.
A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus conductor told news agency PTI around midnight that their bus had been stuck near the accident site for over six hours. Several commuters also took to social media to describe the expressway as resembling a “parking lot” and urged others to avoid travel on the route.
Due to the closure, Mumbai-bound vehicles were diverted onto the Pune-bound carriageway for a short stretch. However, the continuous gas leak prevented full restoration of traffic. As congestion worsened, authorities began diverting vehicles to the old Mumbai–Pune Highway and regulating movement through intermittent blocks of 15 to 20 minutes.
Highway police said traffic had been halted for nearly 5 km around the accident site on expert advice to ensure safety during the gas-handling operation. The Mumbai-bound stretch near Khandala remained closed, resulting in long queues and slow movement even for Pune-bound traffic.
The Maharashtra Highway Traffic Police have appealed to commuters to avoid the Mumbai-Pune Expressway until normal traffic is restored, warning that clearance operations are still underway and delays are likely to continue.