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8 killed after truck rams into 20 vehicles in Pune
A truck lost control and caused a deadly crash in Pune, killing 8 and injuring 15. The incident involved over 20 vehicles on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.
Pune
Eight people died and 15 others sustained injuries on Thursday evening after a container truck travelling from Satara to Mumbai reportedly lost control and rammed into over 20 vehicles, setting off a chain collision along the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway in Pune, police said.
Deputy commissioner of police (Zone III) Sambhaji Kadam said the accident occurred around 5.30pm at Navale Bridge near Narhe. “As per the preliminary information, a heavy container truck was going towards Mumbai on the highway. When it reached the bridge, its driver lost control over it due to a suspected brake failure. The truck then collided with a large container truck moving ahead, and crushed a car travelling between them in the process,” he said, adding that the accident left the two trucks and several cars in flames, and brought traffic to a standstill.
Deputy Commissioner of Police ( Zone III ) Sambhaji Kadam said, “ Eight people are dead but only some of them have been identified. We will release their names. Also, 18-20 people are injured, and the count is likely to increase. ”
Efforts to pull the bodies out from the mangled remains were on, and the injured were rushed to a hospital, he said. City Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, who visited the spot, said, “The fire erupted due to the impact of the collision.” In the videos that surfaced after the accident, the car is seen crushed between the two heavy vehicles that got engulfed in a huge fire.
Pune Fire Department chief Devendra Potphode said: “All forces were combined to control and extinguish the massive blaze. The heat was intense as the car was CNG-fueled, and although the fire didn’t spread rapidly at first, it was later aggravated by the combustion of CNG, diesel, and petrol.”
Nearly 70 personnel were involved in the firefighting and rescue operations, he added.
Witnesses described a scene of panic and devastation as vehicles slammed into each other.
“It all happened so fast,” said Saurabh Patil, a witness at the scene. “I saw vehicles colliding with a deafening crash,” he added.
“It was complete chaos as cars were ablaze covered by a dense smoke. It was terrifying moment...I won’t forget,” the eyewitness said, asking not to be named.
Following the tragic accident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families of those killed. “The incident of some people losing their lives in the accident on the new bridge in Pune is extremely tragic and heartbreaking. I offer my heartfelt tribute to the victims and share in the grief of their families. The heirs of the deceased will be provided financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each,” Fadnavis said.
Navale Bridge has been the site of several high-profile crashes in recent years. In November 2022, a runaway truck ploughed into at least 48 vehicles, damaging 24 of them and injuring around 20 people, six of whom required hospitalisation. In May 2025, another truck accident on the same stretch killed a two-wheeler rider.
