Car crushed between trucks in Pune; six dead
Traffic on the Bengaluru–Mumbai highway stopped suddenly as vehicles piled up and drivers struggled to navigate the chaotic scene.
trucks, both of which caught fire on a bridge in Pune city. Police officials said more than ten people were injured in the horrifying crash that unfolded on the busy Navale Bridge, bringing traffic to a standstill and sending shockwaves through the city.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Sambhaji Kadam, the accident occurred when a heavy container truck travelling toward Mumbai suddenly spiraled out of control. Preliminary reports suggest a suspected brake failure caused the driver to lose control just as the vehicle approached the bridge. Unable to stop, the truck rammed into another large container truck moving ahead of it.
Caught in the worst possible position was a small car traveling between the two massive vehicles. The impact left the car completely crushed as the force of the collision sandwiched it tightly between the trucks. Within moments, the crash triggered a huge fire, engulfing all three vehicles in intense flames and smoke visible from a long distance.
“Six people died on the spot, and over ten others sustained injuries,” DCP Kadam confirmed. Fire tenders and rescue teams rushed to the scene as soon as they received the alert. The mangled remains of the car made rescue efforts extremely challenging, and teams continued working late into the night to retrieve bodies trapped inside the wreckage.
The injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals, where emergency teams were on standby to treat burn injuries, fractures, and trauma-related conditions. Officials said the condition of some injured individuals remained critical.
Videos of the accident that surfaced shortly after showed the horrifying intensity of the collision. In several clips, the car is barely recognizable—completely flattened and trapped between the two burning trucks. Witnesses described the scene as “terrifying,” saying the fire spread so fast that bystanders were unable to approach the vehicles.
The fire department eventually managed to bring the blaze under control, but by then, the damage had already been extensive. The burnt-out shells of the trucks and the car blocked almost the entire stretch of the road.
Following the crash, traffic on the Bengaluru–Mumbai lane of the highway was immediately halted. Long queues of vehicles formed on the stretch as police diverted traffic and began the difficult task of removing the gutted vehicles from the bridge. Recovery operations continued for hours, and authorities advised commuters to avoid the route until clearance was complete.
The tragic accident has once again raised concerns about frequent mishaps on Navale Bridge, a stretch that has seen multiple major accidents in recent years, prompting renewed calls for improved safety measures.