Pune: In a tragic accident that took place on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, 23 people were injured when a private passenger bus collided with a tempo near Lonavala in the early hours of Thursday (October 17) morning.

The incident occurred between Devle and Aundhe bridges at approximately 5 AM when a bus belonging to Ashoka Travels, carrying passengers from Kolhapur to Borivali, crashed into a moving Eicher tempo. The accident has left 11 people severely injured, and the condition of three passengers remains critical.

The bus, with a total of 36 passengers, was traveling towards Mumbai when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with the tempo. Emergency response teams, along with the local police, were immediately alerted and rushed to the scene.

According to the Lonavala Rural Police, the injured passengers were promptly taken to Pavana Hospital in Somatane for urgent medical treatment.

The names of the injured passengers have been released, and they include residents from various regions such as Sangli, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Pune, Thane, and Gujarat.

Notably, three passengers, who have been identified as critically injured, are currently receiving intensive care. Meanwhile, 11 others have suffered severe injuries, while the remaining passengers have been treated for minor wounds.

The accident caused a temporary disruption in traffic flow towards Mumbai, but swift actions by the local authorities ensured that the road was cleared soon after. A crane was used to remove the damaged bus from the highway, and normal traffic resumed after a short delay.

Local police officers, led by Assistant Police Inspector Vijay Shete and Police Sub-Inspector Prashant Aware, along with the emergency response team, handled the situation efficiently, ensuring that the injured passengers were provided timely medical assistance.