Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Palm Oil Tanker Overturns and Catches Fire Near Khopoli
A tanker carrying palm oil overturned on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli.
The driver became trapped inside the vehicle’s cabin.
Rescue workers pulled him out safely, and he had only minor injuries.
The driver said the tanker’s brakes failed and made the vehicle overheat.
He also said a tyre caught fire before the flames spread.
Police said the low-grade palm oil itself was not flammable.
They registered a case against the driver for allegedly driving rashly.
Firefighters put out the fire in about 30 minutes.
Workers then removed the tanker and reopened the road.
A palm oil tanker overturned and caught fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli on Saturday afternoon.
Driver Irshad Ahmed Rehman, 27, was trapped inside the cabin and rescued with minor injuries.
The driver said brake failure caused overheating and that a tyre caught fire before the tanker overturned.
Police said the low-grade palm oil was not flammable and registered a case alleging rash driving.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 30 minutes, and traffic was restored after the tanker was removed.
- Who
- Driver Irshad Ahmed Rehman, Khopoli police, fire brigades, highway traffic personnel and emergency response teams were involved.
- What
- A palm oil tanker overturned, caught fire and trapped its driver, who was later rescued.
- When
- Saturday afternoon at about 12:20 p.m.
- Where
- Kilometre 35 of the Mumbai-bound carriageway on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli.
- Why
- The driver attributed the crash to brake failure and overheating; police registered a rash-driving case, while the precise cause remained under investigation.
Driver’s Account
Police Position
Cause of the accident
Driver’s Account
The driver said the tanker’s brakes were not functioning, causing it to heat up before overturning.
Police Position
Police registered a case against the driver for rash driving and for endangering himself and other road users.
Source of the fire
Driver’s Account
The driver claimed that one tyre caught fire first, after which flames spread to the tanker’s chamber and cabin.
Police Position
Police said the low-grade palm oil being transported was not flammable; they did not provide a different account of how the fire began.
- Driver
- Irshad Ahmed Rehman, 27, from Basti, Uttar Pradesh
- Cargo
- Low-grade palm oil
- Location
- Kilometre 35, Mumbai-bound carriageway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway
- Incident time
- Around 12:20 p.m. on Saturday
- Fire response
- The fire was extinguished in approximately 30 minutes
- Road clearance
- The tanker was removed about an hour after the fire was extinguished
- Driver’s condition
- Rescued safely with minor injuries and taken to MGM Hospital