A truck rammed several vehicles on the Mumbai-Pune Expresway
- Container truck suffered brake failure while descending a slope causing pile-up
- Nineteen people injured, admitted to private hospital in Navi Mumbai, no fatalities reported
- Truck driver taken into custody, medical test showed no intoxication, investigation ongoing
A woman was killed and 21 others were injured in an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which involved nearly 25 vehicles.
The accident happened under a bridge on the Mumbai-bound lane of the expressway, just after the Khopoli exit near the toll booth.
Anita Ekhande, 35, a resident of Osmanabad, died on the spot.
The 21 injured people were initially given first-aid at Khopoli Municipal Hospital and later shifted to MGM Hospital in Kamothe for further treatment.
Among the injured is the wife of a Bombay High Court judge.
The accident happened when the brakes of a trailer failed while it was headed toward Mumbai, causing the driver to lose control.
As a result, the vehicles behind collided with each other over a stretch of nearly 3 km.
Teams from the India Reserve Battalion, Devdoot, highway police and volunteers from Help Foundation carried out the rescue operations. They cleared the expressway within 45 minutes by moving the damaged vehicles to the side.
"The driver of the container trailer truck lost control of the vehicle after brake failure. It hit over 20 vehicles, including luxury cars like BMW and Mercedes, resulting in serious injuries to 19 people. They were admitted to a private hospital in Navi Mumbai," an official said.
The truck driver has been taken into custody. A medical examination showed he was not under the influence at the time of the accident.
A case has been filed and investigation is going on.
