Pune: Falling Rocks Inside Mumbai-Pune Expressway Tunnel Smash Moving Car’s Windscreen

Pune, July 01, 2026: Uchappa Khatnappa Varchalli (53), a transport businessman residing in Khopoli, Raigad district had a miraculous escape on the evening of Monday, June 29, 2026 while driving on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway inside a tunnel. At around 5.15 pm, two to three large rocks/boulders detached from the roof of Tunnel No. 2 (near Aundhe, Lonavala) on the newly opened “Missing Link” and smashed directly into the windscreen of a moving Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV).

While a catastrophic accident was averted due to the driver’s limited speed and quick thinking, the incident has triggered public safety concerns, especially given that this mega-infrastructure project was officially commissioned just two months ago.

The impact caused a massive sound and completely shattered the front glass.Shards of glass fell all over the interior, including the driver’s legs. Fortunately, Mr. Varchalli maintained control of the steering wheel, kept his composure, and brought the car to a safe halt, preventing a high-speed pileup or rollover.

Miraculously, zero injuries or fatalities were reported. The driver escaped without any serious cuts despite glass shards raining on his lap.Major structural damage to the front windscreen of the car.

Sub-Inspector Samir Katpale from the Khandala Highway Safety Patrol (HSP) unit and Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawan Suresh Dhere officially inspected the site inside Tunnel No. 2.

Since no one was hurt, the driver chose to proceed to his destination without lodging an official police complaint.

While there were some reports suggesting these as rocks falling from the unlined or settling portions of the mountain tunnel roof, the HSP police team stated they could not rule out the possibility of collapsed concrete pieces (fragments peeling from the tunnel’s inner shotcrete/lining).

The HSP team has officially alerted the MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) and engineering contractors to inspect the inner lining of the tunnel and deploy immediate corrective measures.

This incident occurred right at the onset of the heavy July monsoon spell in the Sahyadri mountains. The fact that stones are falling inside the tunnel, rather than off the open cliffs, poses a new structural safety question for engineers.