Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a standstill for over seven hours after a chemical gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in Khandala Ghat. Hazardous gas leakage prompted emergency response teams to prioritise safety while clearing the accident site
People stuck for hours after massive traffic jam at Mumbai-Pune expressway. Pic/Special arrangement
Mumbai-Pune Expressway during the early hours of Wednesday witnessed massive traffic congestion for more than seven hours after a chemical gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala Ghat section on Tuesday evening. Massive traffic congestion at the expressway severely disrupts vehicular movement on one of Maharashtra’s busiest corridors.
The prolonged traffic congestion left hundreds of commuters stranded for hours, triggering outrage on social media. Commuters who have been stuck in traffic since the last few hours, on social media platform X wrote, “Over 1 hour stuck in massive traffic on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. Tolls are collected efficiently. When will commuters get efficient roads?”
Slamming the authorities, the commuters also asked, “We speak of a trillion dollar economy, but are we building trillion worthy infrastructure? Accountability matters. Who is addressing this?”
Over 1 hour stuck in massive traffic on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. Tolls are collected efficiently
— Sweta Jain Patil (@Anuana10) February 4, 2026
when will commuters get efficient roads?
We speak of a trillion dollar economy, but are we building trillion worthy infrastructure?
Accountability matters. Who is addressing this?… pic.twitter.com/2EAzvaSpXf
While addressing the core reason behind the congestion at the Mumbai-Pune traffic congestion, the highway authorities said that a chemical gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel. The incident occurred around 5 pm on February 3 on the Mumbai-bound lane of the expressway.
Flammable gas leaks as tanker overturns near Adoshi tunnel
The tanker reportedly overturned while passing through the ghat section, leading to leakage of flammable gas and raising serious safety concerns. Emergency response teams, including fire brigade personnel, highway traffic police and disaster management officials, rushed to the spot and launched operations on a war footing to contain the leak.
The authorities said that efforts were underway late into the night to safely clear the tanker and restore normal traffic flow. However, they also mentioned that commuter safety remained the top priority as hazardous gas leakage posed significant risk in the hilly terrain.
Further updates on traffic restoration and investigation into the cause of the accident are awaited.
Gas tanker accident exposes lack of preparedness, says AIMTC former president
Bal Malkit Singh, advisor and former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), on Wednesday criticised authorities over the prolonged disruption caused by the gas tanker accident on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway.
Singh said the incident, which has persisted for nearly 26 hours, exposed a lack of preparedness in handling such emergencies. “Normalcy has still not been restored, causing severe inconvenience to commuters and massive losses to the transport industry,” he said.
He added that the movement of perishable goods, raw materials, and finished products has been badly affected, disrupting time-bound deliveries and resulting in substantial financial losses for industries. Transport operators and drivers are facing undue hardship, including financial losses due to prolonged detention of vehicles.
“Despite paying heavy toll charges and multiple taxes, the transport fraternity continues to suffer due to inadequate infrastructure and poor emergency response mechanisms,” Singh said, urging the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and other concerned agencies to strengthen infrastructure and contingency planning to ensure such situations are handled efficiently in the future.
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