A massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway near Vasai in Maharashtra’s Palghar district caused chaos on Tuesday evening, leaving over 500 students and several commuters stranded for nearly 12 hours.
Twelve buses carrying schoolchildren from Classes 5 to 10, along with a few college students from Mumbai and Thane, were stuck in the gridlock from around 5:30 p.m. until early Wednesday morning while returning from a school picnic near Virar.
As vehicles barely moved through the night, the stranded students faced severe hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Many were visibly distressed, while anxious parents waited through the night for updates on their children’s safety.
A local social organization stepped in to distribute water and biscuits, offering some relief to the exhausted children. “The students were crying due to hunger and exhaustion. It was heartbreaking to see them suffer because of poor traffic management,” an activist said.
Officials attributed the massive congestion to the diversion of heavy vehicles from the Ghodbunder Highway due to ongoing repair work, which put additional pressure on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
Angry parents and residents have demanded immediate action from authorities, calling for better traffic coordination and planning to prevent such distressing incidents in the future.
