Twelve people died and over 35 were injured after a speeding container truck rammed a wedding party vehicle on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, triggering a massive rescue operation and raising concerns over highway safety and overcrowding.
A devastating road accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district claimed the lives of at least 12 people and left more than 35 others injured on Monday after a speeding container truck collided with a vehicle carrying wedding guests, police officials said.
The tragic incident occurred near Dhanivari village in the Kasa area when an Eicher truck transporting guests to a wedding ceremony was struck by a container truck travelling from Gujarat towards Mumbai. According to police, the collision was so intense that both vehicles overturned on the busy highway, trapping several passengers inside the crushed and mangled vehicle.
Emergency rescue teams, local police personnel, and residents rushed to the spot immediately after the accident. Rescue workers had to cut through twisted metal to pull out passengers trapped inside the overturned vehicle. Several victims were reportedly unconscious when they were taken out, while others suffered severe injuries in the crash.
Police said the wedding party had started its journey from Bapu village in Dahanu and was travelling to Dhanivari for the ceremony. Initial reports indicated that more than 40 people were travelling in the vehicle at the time of the accident. However, some local accounts suggested that the number of passengers may have exceeded 100, raising serious concerns about overcrowding and passenger safety during private transport arrangements.
Officials confirmed that at least 12 people died on the spot or during treatment at nearby hospitals. More than 35 injured passengers were rushed to Kasa Sub-District Hospital and other nearby medical centres, including Vedant Hospital, for emergency treatment. Hospital authorities stated that several patients remained in critical condition and could be shifted to advanced medical facilities if necessary.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos after the collision, with injured passengers crying for help as bystanders attempted to assist rescue teams. Traffic movement on the national highway was severely disrupted for several hours as authorities cleared the wreckage and conducted rescue operations.
Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that the container truck may have been travelling at high speed before crashing into the wedding vehicle. Authorities are also examining whether overloading contributed to the high number of casualties.
Senior officials from the district administration visited the hospitals to monitor treatment arrangements for the injured. Local authorities assured that all possible medical assistance was being provided to the victims and their families.
The accident has once again highlighted growing concerns over road safety on major highways in India, especially involving overcrowded passenger vehicles and heavy commercial transport. Residents in the region demanded stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and stronger monitoring of overloaded vehicles to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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As investigations continue, grieving families mourned the sudden loss of loved ones whose journey to a wedding celebration ended in one of the deadliest highway accidents reported in the region this year.
