Pune: Over 20 people sustained injuries after a tanker crashed into several vehicles at Pune’s Navale bridge on Sunday evening. The crash resulted in a 48-vehicle pile-up and at least 40 vehicles damaged.

The major pileup took place at 8.45 pm on Sunday when the Mumbai-bound tanker lost control on the downward slope of the bridge on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune. Several injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

Navale bridge #pune accident pic.twitter.com/958isNiXOi
— Piyush Bhusari (@piyushbTOI) November 20, 2022

According to the police, the driver of the truck had apparently switched off its engine while on a bridge slope and rammed into several vehicles ahead of it. A Regional Transport Office (RTO) said switching off the engine affects the vehicle's braking system and this may have led to the tanker’s freefall on the bridge slope and major pileup.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: 6 people were injured in an accident at Navale bridge on the Pune-Bengaluru highway in Pune last night where a truck lost control & rammed into several vehicles stuck in traffic on the bridge, no casualties were reported so far

Latest visuals from the spot pic.twitter.com/fp3umtCVwN
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2022

The driver of the tanker, identified as Maniram Yadav, was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the driver who fled the spot after causing a major accident.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule visited the accident site on Monday. Later, in her tweet she said people need to follow the Road Safety Act.

नवले पूल परिसरात झालेल्या अपघातातील जखमींची तसेच त्यांच्या नातेवाईकांची माई मंगेशकर रुग्णालयात जाऊन भेट घेऊन त्यांची विचारपूस केली. यावेळी राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसचे पदाधिकारी व कार्यकर्ते आदी उपस्थित होते. pic.twitter.com/JFygkUr3Gq
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) November 21, 2022

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(With inputs from agencies)