Critical Infrastructure Restored: Mumbai-Pune Expressway Resumes Operations Following 33-Hour Disruption from Hazardous Materials Incident

On February 3, 2026, at approximately 1700 hours, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker overturned on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a vital economic corridor connecting India's financial capital with its industrial hub. The incident precipitated a severe 33-hour operational paralysis, stranding thousands of commercial and passenger vehicles and causing significant logistical and economic disruption. Emergency response protocols were immediately activated, involving specialized hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams, traffic police, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel. The primary operational challenge was the safe extraction and uprighting of the compromised tanker, a delicate procedure requiring controlled depressurization and environmental containment to mitigate explosion or leakage risks. The successful clearance and subsequent thorough safety inspection of the carriageway allowed for the full resumption of traffic flow by the early hours of February 5. This incident underscores persistent vulnerabilities in critical transport infrastructure to single-point failures involving hazardous cargo. It highlights the necessity for enhanced real-time monitoring systems, stricter enforcement of vehicle safety regulations for freight carriers, and the continuous refinement of inter-agency disaster response coordination to minimize future economic and public safety impacts on this essential arterial route.