The accident occurred around 6:30 am due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog. The driver, unable to judge the road condition on a sunken patch, lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn
A major accident was narrowly averted early Sunday morning when a tanker carrying approximately 28,000 litres of hydrochloric acid overturned near Dongarwadi village in the fog-covered Tamhini Ghat region. The tanker was headed to Pune from Mahad MIDC.
The driver was briefly trapped inside the tanker but was rescued safely by a bus driver who stopped and intervened. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)
The accident occurred around 6:30 am due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog. The driver, unable to judge the road condition on a sunken patch, lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn. The driver was briefly trapped inside the tanker but was rescued safely by a bus driver who stopped and intervened. The driver sustained minor injuries to his fingers.
Following the accident, a significant amount of hydrochloric acid leaked into the deep valley below. The fumes caused eye irritation to passersby, prompting an immediate response from emergency teams. Approximately 90% of the tanker was reported to have emptied.
Emergency services, including the PMRDA fire brigade, Mulshi disaster management team, LCS response team, Raigad rescue team, and local police, swiftly arrived at the scene. With the help of a crane, the tanker was moved to the roadside, and the situation was brought under control at around 6 PM. Vehicular traffic continued from the ghat section only after 6 PM.
Senior officials from the Forest Department, including the Samir Ingale, range forest officer (RFO), were present at the scene to oversee the mitigation operation. Authorities confirmed that no loss of life occurred, and the area has been secured.
