The Highway Safety Patrol authorities halted both lanes of the motorway for traffic between 11.40 am and 12.40 pm as the entire tanker was engulfed in flames.
| The volatile oil that spilled on the bridge also flowed onto the road below it, causing burn injuries to drivers. (Image: Source) |
According to a police officer in Pune Rural, the mishap happened on an overbridge close to Lonavala, a hill resort. What caused the mishap is being ascertained by investigators. The tanker was travelling on the Pune to Mumbai lane of the 94-km-long motorway, and the authorities are attempting to learn more about its ownership and operation.
The Highway Safety Patrol authorities halted both lanes of the motorway for traffic between 11.40 am and 12.40 pm as the entire tanker was engulfed in flames. A relief effort was started by emergency response teams from the Pune Rural Police, Highway Safety Patrol, Motorway emergency response body, Pune Disaster Management Cell, fire brigades from the municipal councils of Lonavala and Khopoli, as well as those from the Indian Navy's INS Shivaji training facility in Lonavala.
The Lonavala police station's inspector, Sitaram Dubal, said, "At first, we believed it to be an oil tanker. Its presence of methanol has now been confirmed by the probe. One of the four fatalities occurred in the tanker cabin, and the other three occurred in cars that were driving beneath the bridge. Two of the three injured people were on a car below, while the third was on the truck.
Ankit Goyal, the superintendent of police for Pune Rural, stated that the methanol may have escaped from cracks in the side walls or the bridge's surface structure. It is being determined who the deceased and injured people are. All of them have had serious burn injuries.
He continued, "Our top priorities have been to ensure emergency medical care, evacuation, and the restoration of motorway traffic. According to officials, the fire, which was initially put out, later grew before it was again put out.
One hour following the collision, the Highway Patrol restarted traffic on the Mumbai to Pune lane, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala) Satya Sai Kartik. As soon as the tanker is removed from the highway, traffic on the Pune to Mumbai lane will resume.
In a tweet, Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, wrote: "My sincere condolences to the four people who have died in the unfortunate tragedy. In this incident, three people suffered injuries, and they are receiving medical attention at the hospital. I offer a prayer for their quick recovery.
“Emergency response teams from the state police force, highway patrol, INS Shivaji, fire brigade are at the spot and now the fire is under control. Traffic has been restored on one side, and the other side will also start soon. The state government is closely monitoring the situation,” he added.
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