2 killed in landslide on Mumbai-Pune highway, traffic comes to halt

mangaloretoday.com

Mumbai, July 19: Two people were killed and the Mumbai-Pune highway was closed on Sunday afternoon after a landslide.

Traffic movement has come to a standstill, and six lanes of the eight-lane highway are shut. The incident took place around 1pm, barely 30km from Panvel in Navi Mumbai.

 

 

 
Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde said, "I’m on the spot. Two lanes -- one each towards Pune and Mumbai -- have been cleared. All the lanes will be cleared within the next few hours." 

One of the deceased has been identified as Sashi Kant Dhamankar, a resident of Dombivali near Mumbai. The identity of the other victim has yet to be ascertained. They were in separate cars.

There are reports that one more person died in the landslide. Three people injured in the incident were rushed to a hospital in Nigdi near Pune.

The Mumbai-Pune expressway witnesses heavy traffic on weekends, as it serves as a link to popualr tourist destinations such as Lonavala. Every year, heavy rains often trigger landslides in this segmnent. This, in turn, leads to traffic disruptions.