Thane residents, especially those using Ghodbunder Road, are all too familiar with the frustrating traffic congestion that often plagues the area. However, Wednesday’s gridlock was particularly severe, with traffic at a standstill for nearly five hours. The chaos led to significant inconvenience as students were stranded in long queues, resulting in late arrivals at school and cancelled afternoon classes.
 
The source of the disruption was a chemical-laden truck that overturned, causing another vehicle to crash and block the road, leading to a five to 10 km stretch of gridlock. “The truck was en route from Nhava Sheva to Bawal in Haryana, carrying 34 tonnes of paraformaldehyde chemical in approximately 8,000 kg bags. The truck overturned on the highway, injuring the driver, Mohammed Rujdar, 50, who was subsequently taken to the hospital,” said a police officer.

The long traffic queues caused by the overturned truck. Pics/Rajesh Gupta