JOIN USAt least two persons were killed and three others injured on Sunday following a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain on Mumbai-Pune Expressway that affected the traffic between the two premier cities of Maharashtra.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region and neighbouring areas have been receiving rain since Saturday night.
The landslide occurred at about 1 pm when boulders came crashing down near the Adoshi tunnel close to Lonavla, affecting the traffic from both sides.
This is the second incident of landslide on the express way in a month’s time. A landslide struck near Khandala tunnel.
On Sunday, the landslide took place on the mouth of the Adoshi tunnel with the boulders crushing the vehicles.
The deceased were identified as Dilipbhai Patil (52) of Bhayender and Shashikant Dhamankar (45) of Dombivli.
Public Works Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), rushed to the spot to supervise rescue operation. “Ex gratia as per government norms would be given to the family of the deceased persons,” he said.
As of now, the MSRDC is planning to commission two of the eight-lanes from both sides and has requested people to use the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway.
Since the crowd on the Expressway was more in the evening on Sundays, the Central Railway (CR) decided to run special trains – one from Mumbai to Pune and another from Pune to Mumbai at 8 pm.
Meanwhile, traffic on the CR, too, was briefly affected as two wheels of the third coach of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus-Kalyan local train derailed near Dombivli station. Several locals were diverted on the fast line between Diva-Kalyan.
The impact of the incident was not felt much as it was Sunday.