Oil Spill on Old Mumbai-Pune Highway Injures 30 in Pimpri-Chinchwad; Fire Brigade Clears 16-Km Stretch
Pune, October 23, 2025: A massive oil spill on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway in Pimpri-Chinchwad left around 30 people injured late Wednesday night. The incident occurred between Phugewadi and Dehu Road after oil leaked from a tanker, making the 16-kilometre stretch dangerously slippery for motorists.
According to reports, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Fire Brigade received a call about the incident around 11 pm. Several bikers skidded and fell due to the oil spread across the busy road. Luckily, because of the Diwali holidays and the late hour, traffic on the highway was lighter than usual.
Fire officials said that at least 24 bikers lost control of their vehicles, resulting in more than 30 people being injured. Many victims were taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital and nearby private hospitals. Their conditions are said to be stable.
Senior Fire Officers Rushikant Chipade and Gautam Ingawale led the operation to clean the stretch. “We received the call at 11.30 pm, and by then, a few accidents had already occurred. The oil had spilled intermittently for over 16 km. It was causing vehicles to slip, and there was also a danger of fire as the liquid was flammable,” Ingawale said.
Fire tenders from PCMC, Bhosari, Nehru Nagar, Talawade, and Pradhikaran Fire Stations were deployed to control the situation. The team worked for over three hours, using mud and dusted wood (bhusa) to soak up the oil and eliminate the risk of skidding or fire.
By Thursday morning, the road was cleared, though some residue was still visible. The fire brigade and police have urged motorists to drive carefully along the Phugewadi–Dehu Road stretch. Officials said a major disaster was prevented thanks to the swift response of the fire brigade.
