NCP Youth Leader Killed in Mumbai-Pune Expressway Crash

Mumbai: A devastating road accident inside the Missing Link tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway claimed the life of NCP youth leader Tushar Bhumkar, while another person sustained critical injuries after a speeding Toyota Fortuner crashed into a goods tempo in the early hours of the morning.

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According to police, the accident occurred at around 1:30 AM when the Fortuner, travelling from Pune towards Mumbai, rammed into a vegetable-laden goods tempo moving in the same direction. The impact was so severe that both vehicles were completely mangled.

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Tushar Bhumkar died on the spot, while another occupant of the SUV suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Three other passengers escaped with minor injuries.

Officials said all five occupants of the Fortuner are residents of the Bhumkar Chowk area in Wakad, Pimpri-Chinchwad. The deceased, Tushar Bhumkar, was identified as a youth leader associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Following the accident, authorities immediately shut the Mumbai-bound lane of the Missing Link tunnel for nearly two hours, diverting traffic through the old Mumbai-Pune Expressway route to prevent further congestion and ensure rescue operations could continue safely.

Teams from the Highway Police, IRB’s Devdoot emergency response unit, and other rescue agencies rushed to the spot, rescued the injured from the wreckage and shifted them to a hospital. After both damaged vehicles were removed from the expressway, traffic towards Mumbai resumed as normal.

Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fatal collision.