Mumbai/Pune: The massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, caused by a gas tanker overturn near Khandala Ghat, left hundreds of vehicles stranded for over 30 hours. Commuters faced severe hardships with no access to food, water, or sanitation facilities as the jam stretched 20–22 kilometers. Among those trapped was industrialist and Pinnacle Group Chairman Dr. Sudhir Mehta, who was traveling to Pune. After being stuck for nearly eight hours, Dr. Mehta was safely airlifted by helicopter.
Sharing his experience on social media platform X, Dr. Mehta highlighted the urgent need for better emergency planning on the expressway. He wrote that millions of people have been stuck due to the gas tanker incident over the past 18 hours and suggested creating multiple exit points along the highway to allow vehicles to be diverted during emergencies. He also proposed helipads near the expressway, noting that they could be built for under ₹10 lakh on less than an acre of land.
Dr. Mehta expressed gratitude to aviation consultant and former Air Force personnel Nitin Welde, who arranged the helicopter evacuation, allowing him to return to Pune safely.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening around 5:00 PM when a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned. Gas leakage from the tanker prompted immediate deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and BPCL teams. Authorities brought another tanker to transfer the gas safely, a process that took more than two hours to complete.
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