New Delhi: Thousands of commuters in South and Southeast Delhi were left stranded for hours on Wednesday morning after a major road accident near the Ashram Flyover paralysed traffic on the Ring Road.
The collision, involving a light goods vehicle (LGV) and two heavy container trucks, has resulted in a massive traffic snarl extending several kilometres in both directions.
The accident occurred during the peak morning rush hour when an LGV reportedly lost control and collided with two container trucks.
The impact left the vehicles destroyed across the carriageway, effectively choking one of the city’s most critical flyovers.
While emergency services reached the spot within minutes, the sheer size of the container trucks has made the recovery operation difficult.
Heavy-duty cranes have been deployed to clear the wreckage, but as of noon, traffic movement remains restricted to a single lane on the affected stretch.
Impact on Commuters
The Delhi Traffic Police issued an urgent alert as the traffic jam reached Sarai Kale Khan on one side and AIIMS on the other.
The most severe congestion is reported between the Moolchand underpass and the Ashram intersection.
The bottleneck at Ashram has caused traffic on Mathura Road, Captain Gaur Marg, and the DND Flyway, with travel times increasing by an estimated 45 to 60 minutes.
Routes to Avoid and Alternate Options
Authorities have advised motorists to steer clear of the Ring Road near Ashram until the damaged vehicles are fully removed.
Official Advisory
The Delhi Traffic Police took to social media to urge the public to use the Delhi Metro where possible to avoid the surface-level gridlock.
Traffic personnel are currently on the ground manualizing signals at major junctions to clear accumulated volume.
With the recovery process ongoing, officials expect the situation to normalise only by late afternoon.
