Two people lost their lives and an elderly woman sustained serious injuries in a major accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway after a container truck overturned and was subsequently struck by another truck, officials said on Sunday. The crash caused significant traffic disruption on one of India's busiest highways, leading to long delays for commuters and prompting an investigation by local authorities into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to officials, the accident occurred on the Mumbai-bound carriageway near the "Missing Link" section of the expressway. The container truck reportedly overturned on the roadway before being hit by another heavy vehicle. The impact of the collision proved fatal for two individuals, while an 80-year-old woman traveling in a passing car suffered serious injuries when her vehicle became caught in the aftermath of the crash.
In response to the accident, highway authorities temporarily closed the Mumbai-bound Missing Link stretch to facilitate rescue operations and clear the damaged vehicles. Traffic heading towards Mumbai from Lonavala was diverted through alternative routes, including the main expressway and the old Pune-Mumbai Highway. The diversions resulted in severe congestion, with motorists facing delays of nearly two hours as traffic volumes built up across the affected corridors.
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Emergency response teams and police personnel rushed to the scene shortly after the incident. Rescue efforts focused on assisting the injured, managing traffic flow, and removing debris scattered across the roadway. After several hours of work, authorities successfully cleared the damaged vehicles and reopened the Missing Link section for normal traffic movement. Officials confirmed that the opposite carriageway remained unaffected throughout the operation, allowing vehicles traveling from Mumbai to Pune to continue without disruption.
The latest accident comes just weeks after another fatal collision involving three trucks on the Mumbai-bound side of the expressway near Khopoli. In that incident, two people were killed and two others suffered critical injuries, highlighting ongoing concerns about road safety and heavy vehicle movement along the high-speed corridor. Emergency services were also deployed in that case to assist victims and restore traffic flow.
Despite a reduction in fatal accidents over the past year, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway continues to witness a significant number of road mishaps. Official figures show that the nearly 95-kilometer route recorded 187 accidents in 2025. While fatalities and serious injury cases declined compared with the previous year, authorities continue to emphasize stricter enforcement, improved driver awareness, and enhanced safety measures to further reduce accidents on the crucial transport link connecting Maharashtra's two largest cities.
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