Accident resulted in a 90-minute jam on the highway, during which light motor vehicles had to be diverted onto the service road
Motorists travelling towards Gujarat were subjected to a 90-minute commuting nightmare after an oil tanker caught fire on the Mumbai-Gujarat Highway last morning. The tanker (MH 46 F 3551) was on its way to Gandhidham in Gujarat.
“The incident occurred around 7:45 am near an overbridge close to Mangavan village, some 30 kilometres from Palghar. We were within a radius of five kilometres of the accident site when we received a call from the patrolling unit. We reached there within five minutes,” said Sub-inspector Anil Devkate from Highway traffic police.
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The officer added that the tanker had caught fire before they reached the spot. Prima facie investigation revealed that the mishap occurred after the tanker driver lost control of his vehicle.
“The driver lost control of the speeding vehicle following which it jumped the divider and entered the wrong lane. It then crashed into the railing before coming to a halt. The driver fled the spot immediately. Since there was no fire station around, we summoned Palghar fire brigade officials for assistance,” Devkate said.
Fire tenders from Palghar unit reached the accident spot around 8.40 am and the situation was brought under control by 9.30 am. “Meanwhile, light motor vehicles were diverted onto the service road. Doing so ensured vehicular movement, though slow. No one was injured in the mishap. Mehta Transport Line owns the tanker. A case has been registered against the driver for rash and negligent driving,” Devkate added.
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