Mumbai, May 25 (UNI) Two women, including a 17-year-old girl, lost their lives and five others sustained serious injuries in a multi-vehicle collision on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli, an official said here on Sunday.

The accident at the 37-kilometre mark in the Mumbai-bound lane involved a truck, three buses, and three cars

on Sarturday late evening.

It left one of the cars completely mangled after being crushed between a bus and a trailer.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Vikram Kadam (Khalapur division): "We have booked the trailer driver in connection with the accident."

The deceased have been identified as Ashwini Akshay Haldankar (30), a resident of Mumbai, and Shreya Santosh Avatade (17). The car's driver, Akshay Haldankar, was injured and is currently undergoing treatment at Jagruti Hospital in Khopoli.

Four other passengers — Vasudha Vijay Jadhav (36) from Kolhapur, Sarika Avatare (38) from Ghatkopar, nine-year-old Sarika Vijay Jadhav, and three-year-old Avneesh Vijay Jadhav —were seriously injured and have been admitted to MGM Hospital in Kamothe.

The collision caused a major traffic jam on the expressway for over an hour.

The situation was brought under control through the prompt response of the IRB patrol team, Devdoot system, Maharashtra Security Force, Khopoli Police, Lokmanya Hospital staff, and volunteers from the Help Foundation.

All vehicles involved were cleared from the roadway, and normal traffic flow was restored.

Kadam also said the initial investigation suggested the trailer driver lost control of the vehicle and hit the divider, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving the vehicles behind. One of the cars, caught between the trailer and a bus, was crushed, resulting in the fatalities.

"We have booked the trailer driver in connection with the accident," Kadam confirmed.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the tragic collision. UNI AAA SP SSP