Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, Palghar District, Maharashtra, Oct 15, 2025: A severe traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway left over 500 students and commuters stranded for hours, with many forced to spend the night inside buses. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening and extended into the early hours of Wednesday, creating distress for children returning from school picnics as well as other commuters.

The traffic snarl involved a total of 12 buses transporting students from classes 5 to 10 of various schools, along with a few college students from Mumbai and Thane. According to officials cited by PTI, the vehicles were stuck from around 5:30 pm on Tuesday and remained largely immobile until early Wednesday morning.

Children Left Without Basic Necessities

Students were left without adequate food and water during the ordeal. Many grew anxious and exhausted as hours passed, while parents anxiously awaited updates on the children’s safety. Members of a local social organization rushed to the site to provide relief, distributing water and biscuits and assisting drivers in navigating the congested lanes.

“The students were crying due to hunger and exhaustion. It was heartbreaking to see them suffer because of the poor traffic management,” an activist at the scene told PTI.

Officials attributed the massive congestion to the diversion of heavy vehicles from the Ghodbunder highway in Thane, which was undergoing repair work. The increased volume of vehicles on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route reportedly caused the gridlock. A spokesperson from the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police control room stated, “The congestion is slowly easing, but movement remains sluggish.”

Parents and Residents Criticize Authorities

Several buses were eventually able to take detours, while others inched forward slowly through the jam. The last of the stranded vehicles reached their destinations by around 6 am on Wednesday.

Parents expressed outrage over what they described as poor planning and a lack of coordination among the authorities. “Our children were left helpless for hours. There was no police presence, no information, no system in place,” one parent said, highlighting the stress and anxiety faced by families.

Local residents and activists have urged the traffic department and civic authorities to implement better planning and safety measures, especially when road repairs and diversions are underway. They stressed that incidents like this put the safety of children and commuters at serious risk and called for proactive traffic management and emergency support in similar situations in the future.

A Wake-Up Call for Traffic Management

The incident has raised questions about preparedness and response strategies for handling large-scale traffic diversions, particularly on heavily trafficked routes like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. As Maharashtra enters the peak tourist and school picnic season, authorities face mounting pressure to ensure that road infrastructure, traffic control, and emergency support systems are robust enough to prevent similar incidents.

For now, the stranded students and commuters have reached their destinations, but the incident serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of inadequate planning and coordination on critical transport routes.