What is the story about?
Traffic movement on the Mumbai-bound lane of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a near standstill on Friday evening after two back-to-back accidents near the newly
opened Missing Link stretch caused massive congestion and panic among commuters. The first major accident took place near Kilometer 38 on the expressway, where three heavy container trucks collided. According to preliminary information, the impact was severe and the containers overturned on the highway, according to Pune Mirror. Officials said two people are feared dead in the crash, while rescue and emergency operations continued at the spot for several hours.
Second Accident Adds To Chaos
While authorities were trying to clear the damaged vehicles and restore traffic after the first crash, another accident occurred in the same area. According to initial reports, a speeding private bus lost control and rammed into three to four cars that were stuck in the traffic queue caused by the earlier accident.
Several vehicles were badly damaged in the second collision. No deaths were reported in the bus crash, but a few passengers and motorists suffered minor injuries and were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Police detained the bus driver for questioning. Officials are investigating whether overspeeding, driver negligence or sudden braking in the traffic queue led to the accident.
Long Traffic Jams On Expressway
Senior police officials and highway authorities remained present at the site to supervise rescue operations and traffic management. The twin accidents triggered one of the worst traffic jams seen on the expressway in recent weeks. Vehicle queues stretched nearly three to four kilometres on the Mumbai-bound side, while congestion also spread to the old ghat section.
Many travellers remained stranded for hours as emergency teams worked to remove overturned containers and damaged vehicles from the road. Officials said efforts to fully restore normal traffic movement continued till late night.
Concerns Over Missing Link Stretch
The accidents have drawn attention because they occurred near the newly inaugurated Missing Link section, which was opened on May 1 to reduce travel time and avoid the accident-prone ghat curves. However, Friday’s incidents have once again raised concerns over speeding, heavy vehicle movement, lane discipline and traffic management on the new corridor.
