The incident led to panic for parents of the children, aged between 10 and 15 who were travelling in four school buses from a Dadar-based school after a day trip to a resort in Palghar
Traffic at Thane's Ghodbunder Road. Pic/Special Arrangement
Around 170 school students, returning from a picnic, were stranded on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway leading Thane's Ghodbunder Road for nearly six hours on Tuesday night due to a severe traffic jam, sources said.
The incident led to panic for parents of the children, aged between 10 and 15 who were travelling in four school buses from a Dadar-based school after a day trip to a resort in Palghar.
According to school bus operators, the students left the park at around 5 pm, but became stuck in traffic by 5:30 pm, and remained in the same spot until almost 11 pm.
The students were left without food or water, prompting panic among parents and staff, sources said.
Another six buses, carrying students from a Malad-based junior college, were also caught in the gridlock.
Parents and drivers said there was no warning about the road closure, allegedly due to repair works.
Sources said that messages were sent with desperate appeals for help as repeated calls to emergency number 100 allegedly went unanswered.
Several posts on X were also sent to ministers, the Mumbai Police Commissioner, and local authorities, but no immediate assistance came.
“This shows the sad state of our disaster management system. Roads used to be in good shape 10 years ago. Now they are broken, and corruption has made it worse. These children had no food, no water, and no help,” said Anil Garg, President of the School Bus Association.
Bus operators stepped in, bringing biscuits, food, and water for the students. In some cases, students were allowed to use nearby restaurant facilities and a police chowki’s toilet.
Eventually, help did arrive. Naigaon Senior Police Inspector and local officers escorted the stranded buses to a nearby hotel, where the children were given food and shelter.
The incident has raised serious concerns about infrastructure, road management, and the state’s emergency response system. Parents and operators are now demanding accountability and immediate improvements to prevent such dangerous delays in the future.
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