According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred on the lane heading from Gujarat towards Mumbai. Several vehicles at high speed were unable to detect the deep road defect in time and struck the damaged section one after another. As a result, multiple vehicles suffered punctured tyres, while several others sustained significant damage. Some vehicles came to an abrupt halt, forcing trailing traffic to brake suddenly, leading to minor collisions between vehicles.
The incident caused temporary traffic disruption on the highway as vehicles became stranded near the damaged stretch. Despite the scale of the disruption and multiple collisions, authorities confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported, providing relief amid what could have been a far more serious disaster.
Questions have now been raised over the quality and durability of the road construction. The affected stretch had undergone white-topping work last year, a project reportedly executed at a cost of approximately INR 620 crore. The premature failure of the surface layer, along with exposed steel reinforcement, has triggered serious concerns regarding construction standards, material quality, and supervisory oversight.
One car driver involved in the incident stated that his vehicle was moving at a speed of approximately 60 to 70 kilometers per hour when it suddenly hit the damaged portion of the road. The impact caused the car to collide with vehicles ahead, resulting in both front tyres bursting. The driver added that the vehicle had been purchased only two months earlier and demanded compensation for the damages suffered.
Following the incident, commuters and local residents expressed strong anger, calling for strict action against the construction agency, contractor, and responsible officials. They demanded immediate repairs to the highway and accountability for the lapse. The incident has once again highlighted serious concerns over the quality of public infrastructure works and the effectiveness of monitoring systems, with warnings that delayed corrective action could lead to even more severe accidents in the future.
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