3 heavy vehicles catch fire after collision on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway

Vehicles stuck in traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. Pics/Hanif Patel

Three loaded heavy vehicles collided on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway near Virar in the wee hours of Wednesday. After the collision, the truck carrying cardboard caught fire and it spread to the other two vehicles also.

The vehicular movement on both sides of the highway was badly affected and after sustained efforts, Mumbai-bound traffic was cleared. However, vehicles heading towards Gujarat are still stuck, said Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar spokesperson Tikaram Thatkar. "The traffic will soon be cleared," he added.

An officer attached to the Virar police station told Mid-day that the driver of a loaded container lost control of the vehicle and it toppled around 3:30 am. "After the container truck toppled, another container coming from Mumbai side collided with it head-on, and a truck running parallel to the container towards Gujarat also got crashed," said the officer.

"After the collision, the truck caught fire and subsequently the fire engulfed the other two vehicles also. One of the drivers has sustained minor bruises and has been sent to a nearby hospital for medical attention," the officer added.

The 40-year-old driver of the container coming from the Gujarat side, Dayaram Tanojia, has been booked for rash driving by Virar police.