Mumbai, December 31: Panic gripped commuters on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway as more than 50 vehicles were punctured after passing over an iron board on the Samruddhi Highway. The alleged incident is said to have taken place on Sunday night, December 29, between Malegaon and Vanoja toll plaza in Washim district. It is reported that the vehicles allegedly punctured after passing over the iron board which had fallen on the Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway.

According to reports, the incident occurred at around 10 PM on December 29. The sudden puncturing of over 50 vehicles not only impacted four-wheelers and cargo trucks but also resulted in a long traffic jam on the Samruddhi Mahamarg or Samruddhi Highway in Maharashtra. It is also learned that commuters whose vehicles were punctured were allegedly stranded on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway overnight as they did not receive any assistance for a long time. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Says ‘Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway Will Be Game-Changer Project’ (See Pics).

After the incident came to light, the police launched a probe to find out if the iron board fell on the Samruddhi Highway accidentally or was thrown intentionally. It must be noted that the Samruddhi Highway, also known as Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is amongst the country's longest greenfield road projects which connects Mumbi and Nagpur in Maharashtra. Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway Accident: Three Killed, 15 Hurt As Tourist Bus Rams Into Truck Near Talegaon-Dashasar in Amravati.

At present, the highway is partially functional with a six-lane wide and 701-km long access-controlled expressway. The Samruddhi Mahamarg, which was built at a cost of INR 55,000 crore, was the brainchild of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who conceptualised the idea back in 2015,

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2024 02:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).