At least eight people were killed and 13 others injured in a horrific multi-vehicle crash on the Pune–Bengaluru highway on Thursday evening after a Mumbai-bound trailer truck lost control and rammed into a line of vehicles near the Bhumkar Bridge–Navale Bridge stretch. Police said the truck, loaded with iron beads, was travelling towards Mumbai when the driver lost control around 5:45 pm near the popular ‘Selfie Point’. The heavy vehicle ploughed through multiple cars ahead, dragging one car for several metres before it became wedged between the trailer and another truck carrying plastic beads. Moments later, the CNG cylinder in the car exploded, sparking a massive fire that engulfed all three vehicles and left several occupants trapped inside.
Five people in the car including two men, two women and a three-year-old girl along with the driver and cleaner of the trailer truck, were charred to death. The deceased were identified as Swati Santosh Navalkar (37), her parents Dattatreya Dabhade (58) and Shanta Dabhade (54), their family friend’s daughter Mokshita Reddy (3) from Chikhali, and the car driver Dhananjay Koli (30), originally from Kolhapur. Another victim, Rohit Kadam (25) of Satara, who had sustained severe burn injuries in the pile-up, succumbed in a private hospital later. Police said the family had been returning to Pune from Narayanpur when tragedy struck.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as flames spread within seconds. Sarang Navale, a resident of Narhe, said he was driving on the service road when he heard a loud noise and saw the truck dragging a car. He recalled hearing an explosion almost immediately and watching the fire engulf the vehicles before anyone could intervene. Fire brigade officials said the first fire tender reached within five minutes, but rescuers were unable to save the trapped passengers due to the intensity of the blaze. Chief fire officer Devendra Potphode said the CNG cylinder blast created a “ball of fire”, and it took 56 firemen and nearly 30 minutes to bring the flames under control.
The impact and fire left the wreckage of 13 vehicles scattered across the highway, causing a complete halt of traffic towards Mumbai for nearly two hours. Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the collision was so severe that the car was crushed between the two trucks, resulting in instant fatalities. Forensic teams have been deployed for DNA sampling, and police are coordinating with doctors for autopsies and related procedures. RTO officials also reached the spot to trace vehicle registrations and assist in the investigation.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep grief over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the next of kin of those who died. Calling the incident “extremely unfortunate and painful”, he extended condolences to the affected families and directed authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured.
