Two trucks collided, trapping a four-wheeler in between in Pune on Thursday. The accident killed eight people and injured 15.
In videos that have surfaced of the accident in Pune’s Navale Bridge area, one of the trucks can be seen engulfed in fire, while photos show the mangled car that was stuck between the trucks.
Fire engines immediately arrived at the scene upon receiving the news, and rescue and firefighting operations were initiated.
The accident caused a complete halt to traffic on the national highway, causing a massive traffic jam.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the victims in the accident.
The accident comes days after a truck carrying over 100 LPG cylinders overturned while negotiating a sharp curve on the Thanjavur-Ariyalur highway in Tamil Nadu’s Ariyalur district on Monday, causing a major fire and a series of explosions.
On its way from an Indane Gas warehouse near Dindigul Road to deliver cylinders to a local dealer in Ariyalur, the truck was turning around a curve near a Pillaiyar temple, when a stray dog suddenly crossed the road. In an attempt to avoid hitting it, the driver, Kanagaraj, applied sudden brakes, causing the truck to lose control and topple into a roadside drain.
The impact triggered a chain reaction as the tightly packed cylinders collided, igniting a series of powerful explosions that sent fireballs leaping into the air.
Kanagaraj managed to jump out of the vehicle and run for safety even as the first few cylinders exploded. Locals rushed to his aid and called emergency services. He sustained multiple injuries and was admitted to the Ariyalur Government Medical College Hospital.