PUNE, India — A catastrophic collision on the Pune-Bengaluru highway resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals and left 13 others injured when a trailer truck lost control and smashed into multiple vehicles on Thursday evening. The tragic incident further underscores the dangers of the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, where 18 fatalities have been recorded this year alone.
The accident occurred around 5:45 p.m. on the stretch between Bhumkar Bridge and Navale Bridge, where the heavy vehicle careened into 13 other vehicles, including two trucks, several cars, and a minibus. Eyewitnesses reported that the trailer truck, loaded with iron beads, dragged a car for significant distance before colliding with another truck loaded with plastic beads, causing a massive explosion.
Among the deceased are five passengers from the car: Swati Navalkar, 37; her parents Dattatreya, 58, and Shanta Dabhade, 54; their family friend’s young daughter, three-year-old Mokshita Reddy; and the car driver, Dhananjay Koli, 30. A sixth victim, Rohit Kadam, 25, succumbed to injuries at a private hospital shortly after the accident.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the severe fire that engulfed the vehicles, attributed to a CNG cylinder explosion in the car. The fire brigade took approximately two hours to extricate the charred remains from the wreckage. Traffic on the highway was halted for several hours while police redirected vehicles to alternate routes.
Pune’s police commissioner characterized the impact of the crash as devastating, noting that the car became wedged between the two trucks, which directly contributed to the tragic loss of life. “The impact was so severe that it triggered a fire that led to multiple fatalities,” he stated, adding that emergency services swiftly transported the injured to local hospitals, including the well-known Sassoon General Hospital.
In the wake of the accident, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister announced an ex gratia payment of 500,000 rupees to the families of those who died. Expressing his condolences, he referred to the incident as “extremely unfortunate and painful.”
Investigators are working to identify the driver and cleaner of the trailer truck, who were also killed in the blaze. Forensic teams are conducting DNA sampling and autopsies to aid in the identification process, while traffic police have mobilized additional resources to handle the disruption caused by the crash.
Sarang Navale, a witness who was on the service road at the time, described a chaotic scene, recounting the loud noise of the crash followed by an explosive fireball. Despite his attempts to help, the flames quickly spread, engulfing the vehicles and making rescue efforts nearly impossible.
As authorities continue their investigation, they are working to unravel the circumstances surrounding the collision and ensure accountability for the preventable tragedy. With the highway serving as a crucial link to Pune’s IT hub in Hinjewadi, safety concerns loom large as the roadway remains a site of multiple past incidents.