A major fire broke out in a chemical tanker at Khandala Ghat on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, resulting in the death of four individuals. The incident occurred today (Tuesday) around 11:30 am, causing the area to be engulfed in flames and disrupting traffic on the highway.
Eyewitnesses reported that the tanker was traveling at a high speed when the driver abruptly lost control, resulting in the collapse of the vehicle. The chemicals inside the tanker were subsequently released, triggering a fire. Tragically, the accident claimed the lives of four individuals at 11:50 p.m.
Upon receiving information about the incident, fire tenders were swiftly dispatched to the scene in an attempt to extinguish the flames. Additionally, the crane transporting the tanker was also engulfed and destroyed by the fire.
The traffic flow between Pune and Mumbai has been severely disrupted as a result of a fire that erupted on the expressway due to a chemical incident. As the tanker caught fire, some flames even spread to the bridge. Ongoing efforts are being made to bring the fire under control, but the traffic on the highway has come to a complete halt for the past two-and-a-half to three hours.
Authorities are working on diverting traffic to alternative routes to alleviate the situation. However, this has resulted in extensive queues of vehicles along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, causing a significant traffic congestion on both routes.