Industrialist stuck in Mumbai-Pune Expressway traffic jam for 8 hours, takes helicopter

Dr Sudhir Mehta shared aerial visuals of the long queue of vehicles and said that lakhs of people were stuck for hours following the incident.

An industrialist took a helicopter to reach Pune after being stuck for hours in a massive traffic jam on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, where hundreds of commuters were stranded following a gas tanker accident.

Traffic congestion stretched beyond 15 hours, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded overnight. (X/@sudhirmehtapune)

Taking to X, Dr Sudhir Mehta, chairman of EKA Mobility and Pinnacle Industries, shared aerial visuals of the long queue of vehicles and said that lakhs of people were stuck for hours following the incident. He also called for better emergency planning on the high-speed corridor.

“Lacs of people are stuck on the #Mumbai #Pune expressway for the last 18 hours for ‘one gas tanker’. For such emergencies we need to plan exits at different points on expressway which can be opened to allow vehicles to return,” he wrote on X.

Suggesting measures to prevent similar crises, Mehta added, “Helipads cost less than ₹10 lacs to make and require less than one acre of open area. These need to be mandatory at various points near the expressway for emergency evacuation.” He also thanked Nitin Welde, an Air Veteran and Consultant for Helicopters in Civil Aviation, for helping him get back to Pune after being stuck for 8 hours.

Authorities said the chaos began around 5 pm on Tuesday when a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad district. The vehicle was allegedly travelling at high speed when it lost control on a downward slope and toppled.

Soon after the accident, officials detected a gas leak, prompting police to immediately shut traffic towards Mumbai as a precaution. The incident triggered major disruption on both the Mumbai–Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai–Pune Highway (NH-48), with officials restricting movement across the affected stretch.

Commuters stranded overnight

Traffic congestion stretched beyond 15 hours, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded overnight. Commuters, including women and children, were stuck in long queues without reliable access to food, drinking water, or toilet facilities.

Authorities have advised travellers to avoid the Lonavala–Khandala ghat section and plan journeys carefully while following traffic advisories.