MSRTC Bus Driver Killed, Nine Injured in Pune-Mumbai Expressway Crash Near Lonavla

Lonavla, 11th July 2025: A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) driver lost his life and nine others, including a conductor, sustained injuries after a bus collided with a container truck on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway early Thursday morning. The accident occurred near the Lonavla exit around 3 AM.

According to police, the deceased has been identified as Irshad Shaikh, 38, a resident of Beed district. The bus, which was en route from Baramati to Mumbai, was carrying 33 passengers at the time of the crash.

“While the bus was moving through the Khandala ghat section, it hit a container truck from behind. The impact was severe and the driver died on the spot,” said an officer from Lonavla City Police Station, which has registered a case of accidental death.

Among the injured is conductor Sagar Gund, also from Beed. Three of the nine injured passengers were admitted to a private hospital near Somatne Phata for further treatment, while the remaining six were treated and discharged, officials said.

Sub-Inspector Ravindra Mudal from the Highway Safety Patrol (HSP) said their team responded quickly after receiving the alert. “Our priority was to shift the injured to the hospital and restore traffic flow, which had been disrupted due to the collision,” he added.

Providing preliminary details on the incident, Sachin Shinde, Divisional Traffic Controller at MSRTC’s Swargate depot, stated, “The bus was trailing a container truck that appears to have braked suddenly while on a downward slope. Unable to stop in time, the bus crashed into it.”