A gas tanker rammed into the side barricade of Amrutanjan Bridge in the Borghat stretch on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on February 23. The tanker met with this accident due to break failure. The police and authorities removed the vehicle from the road immediately after they were informed about the accident. The traffic movement remained smooth on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This is the second gas tanker accident reported on the expressway. The tanker was carrying 21 tonnes of propylene gas. After noticing that the brakes had malfunctioned while descending a steep stretch, the driver reacted promptly and deliberately directed the vehicle toward a roadside retaining wall to stop it. The collision brought the tanker to an immediate halt, averting the risk of it speeding uncontrollably along the hazardous bend. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported in the incident.
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On February 3, a gas tanker overturned, and a gas leak was reported on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The accident brought the traffic movement to a standstill for 33 hours. Motorists on both teh ends of the expressway remain stranded with no food, water, and washroom facilities. The tanker overturned near a tunnel in the Khandala ghat, triggering a gas leak that raised serious safety concerns and forced authorities to halt traffic.
The prolonged congestion has badly affected travellers with urgent commitments. Several commuters were on their way to important business meetings but were unable to reach their destinations. Vehicles moving towards Mumbai have been stuck for hours, worsening the situation. A tempo driver who got trapped in the jam at around 7 am blamed the administration, alleging that no prior warning or advisory was issued. Among those stranded is a passenger travelling from Latur to Mumbai with a cancer patient, who was scheduled to reach Tata Hospital by 8 am. Despite leaving Latur at 10 pm, they have been stuck in traffic since 4 am.
Over one lakh motorists stranded in the massive traffic congestion on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway earlier this month, following a gas tanker accident, will receive toll refunds amounting to a total of Rs 5.16 crore, a senior official from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation said on February 22.