Eight lives lost. Thirteen injured. This is the tragic reality of a massive chain collision on Pune's Navale Bridge this Thursday evening.
But this is more than just an accident. This is a failure of highway safety on a notorious stretch known to authorities as a "Black Spot."
The disaster struck around 5:30 PM when a heavily-laden trailer truck, heading towards Mumbai, lost control on the slope, likely due to brake failure.
It ploughed into a total of 13 vehicles, including cars, a minibus, and two-wheelers, on the busy Pune-Bengaluru Highway.
The impact was horrific. A car carrying a family was crushed between two heavy vehicles, causing an immediate fire. Fire officials believe the car's CNG kit then exploded, turning the scene into an inferno.
Five members of the car, including two women and a three-year-old girl, were charred to death, alongside the driver and cleaner of one of the trucks.
It took 56 firemen and 30 minutes to douse the blaze, and hours more to remove the bodies. Traffic was completely halted, diverting vehicles to alternative routes.
CM Devendra Fadnavis has announced ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased, calling the loss of life "tragic and heartbreaking." But the question remains: Why does this keep happening?
Navale Bridge and the adjacent 'Selfie Point' are officially classified as "Black Spots" by the Indian Road Congress; areas with five or more fatal or grievous accidents in three years.
This is NOT an isolated incident. In November 2022, a truck hit 48 vehicles right here, injuring 20 people. And in October 2023, four people were killed in another collision and fire on the same bridge.
Eyewitnesses described hearing the victims crying for help, but were helpless as the fire spread. A local shop owner rushed to the spot, only to watch in despair.
Police have launched a probe into the exact cause. But with a confirmed history of lethal collisions, it's clear: Structural and safety measures are urgently needed to stop the Navale Bridge from becoming a graveyard.
