At least 12 people were killed, and 25 were injured in a road accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway near Palghar in Maharashtra on Monday after a container truck collided with a vehicle carrying a wedding party, police said.
The accident took place around 4 pm near the Kasa area when the speeding container truck rammed into a smaller truck carrying more than 100 wedding guests. A motorcycle was also hit during the crash.
Police said the impact of the collision was so severe that both vehicles overturned and suffered extensive damage.
Several passengers were trapped inside the vehicles after the accident. Local residents and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations.
The injured were shifted to Kasa sub-district hospital and nearby medical facilities for treatment. Officials said the condition of several injured persons remains critical.
Preliminary investigation suggests overspeeding and negligence may have led to the accident, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
Police said the container truck was carrying heavy cargo boxes, one of which allegedly fell and struck the vehicle transporting the wedding guests, causing it to lose balance.
A detailed inquiry has been initiated and police teams are conducting spot inspections.
Traffic on the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway remained disrupted for several hours following the accident before normal movement was gradually restored.
The highway has witnessed several major accidents in recent years, including the 2022 crash in which former Cyrus Mistry died. State government officials have repeatedly expressed concern over rising accidents on the corridor and stressed the need for stricter road safety enforcement measures.