New Delhi: A massive traffic snarl was witnessed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Tuesday evening after a chemical gas tanker overturned near a tunnel in the Khandala Ghat area, halting vehicular movement for hours on the highway, police said
The accident on the expressway affected the movement of vehicles for more than 15 hours. The incident took place near Adoshi tunnel in Raigad district on Tuesday afternoon when the tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas lost control due to the slope and overturned. The tanker was reportedly travelling at high speed.
“Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway has been severely disrupted for hours after a chemical tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala Ghat area last evening,” said an official.
@Mumbai2PuneEway Stuck on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway for over 4 hours with zero help or updates. People are exhausted and frustrated. No traffic police, no support—this is unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/e0k4NiliQN
— Vikrant Dawda (@vikrantdawda) February 3, 2026
Traffic jam due to accident
Following the incident, gas was found leaking from the tanker, causing panic among motorists. The police barricaded the area as a precautionary measure and immediately stopped traffic towards Mumbai to prevent any untoward incident. The route was restored after some time. The traffic restriction and diversion following the incident led to long queues of vehicles on the expressway, causing inconvenience to commuters.
“Due to a leak of flammable propylene gas from the tanker, the expressway was closed overnight as a safety precaution. One lane from Pune to Mumbai was reopened this morning when the situation was brought under control, but several vehicles have been stranded for more than 15 hours. As a result, traffic on the expressway has been severely affected for the past several hours,” the official added.
According to police, the accident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday and due to the gas leak, all emergency and security agencies were rushed to the spot. As a precaution, the Mumbai-bound lane was completely closed, leading to a massive traffic jam on both sides of the expressway, the police added.
Thousands of vehicles stranded, many missed flights
According to eyewitnesses and commuters, thousands of vehicles were stranded on the expressway. Many people have been stuck in the jam since 3 am. Several passengers missed their flights, and reports have emerged of cancer patients also being stuck in the traffic.
Passengers stranded in the jam faced a severe shortage of basic amenities such as water, food, and toilets. Some people who were stuck in the jam also shared pictures and videos of the traffic congestion.
Spent 7 hours on Pune Mumbai Expressway yesterday stuck in the jam. Exited to stay at Lonavala overnight. The toll booth did charge the toll on exit😀 the tanker still stuck there in the morning. Thousands of vehicle stuck. @1033_Helpline @MTPHereToHelp pic.twitter.com/BQctmiGpMT
— Mayank (@mayank_kmr) February 4, 2026
Meanwhile, the highway traffic police have appealed to commuters to avoid traveling on the expressway until the situation returns to normal and to use alternative routes.