Boulders fall on car inside Tunnel No. 2 near Lonavala on Mumbai-Pune Expressway
On Monday evening, a car's windscreen was shattered after two boulders fell on the vehicle inside Tunnel No. 2 near Aundhe in Lonavala, along the connecting link stretch of the Pune-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The incident has raised safety concerns among motorists traveling through the ghat section of the highway.
The multi-purpose vehicle was owned and driven by Uchappa Varchalli, a 53-year-old transport businessman and resident of Khopoli. Varchalli was driving alone when the debris struck his vehicle. He later reported that pieces of the shattered front windscreen fell onto his legs during the impact. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Although the driver reported that two boulders fell on his vehicle, the Highway Safety Patrol (HSP) police stated they could not rule out the possibility that the falling objects were actually collapsed concrete pieces from the tunnel structure.
The incident was not immediately reported to the police by the driver. Instead, the Highway Safety Patrol Khandala unit learned about the accident through social media. Following this, HSP Sub-inspector Samir Katpale and Maharashtra Security Force Jawan Suresh Dhere visited the site inside Tunnel No. 2 to inspect the spot.
"He was driving alone," confirmed Sub-inspector Katpale. Because there were no injuries, Varchalli continued on his journey toward his destination without lodging an official complaint with the highway police.
Despite the lack of a formal complaint, the HSP team has alerted the relevant administrative and safety agencies about the incident. These concerned agencies are expected to verify the site and take appropriate measures to secure the area and ensure motorist safety.
