Wardha (Maharashtra): A pre-dawn collision involving a car and a truck on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway claimed five lives in Maharashtra’s Wardha district on Monday, while an overturned ethanol-laden container complicated rescue operations and led to major traffic disruptions.
According to police, the incident unfolded around 3 a.m. near Virul village after a container truck transporting ethanol overturned close to an interchange on the expressway. The accident blocked the Mumbai-bound carriageway, creating a hazardous obstruction for approaching vehicles.
As traffic came to a standstill, another truck reportedly rammed into the rear of a car at the affected stretch, resulting in the deaths of all five occupants of the vehicle, officials said.
Emergency responders, including personnel from the Wardha Police, Highway Safety Patrol, fire brigade and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), reached the scene to conduct rescue operations and restore vehicular movement.
Authorities said the presence of ethanol, a highly combustible substance, required extra precautions before the damaged container could be removed. Officials first began the process of safely transferring the fuel to minimise the risk of fire or any other emergency before clearing the wreckage from the highway.
The accident severely affected traffic on the Mumbai-bound side of the expressway, with vehicles being diverted to the opposite carriageway. The diversion triggered long queues and significant congestion across the affected section.
Police also issued a traffic advisory for motorists travelling from Nagpur towards Mumbai, urging them to avoid the Samruddhi Expressway near Wardha until the situation normalised. Instead, commuters were advised to take the Nagpur-Amravati highway and re-enter the expressway through the Amravati Gate interchange.
Officials said clearance work was continuing, with teams focused on removing the damaged vehicles, ensuring the safe handling of the ethanol tanker and restoring normal traffic flow as quickly as possible.
