More than 500 students and commuters were stranded on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Palghar district for nearly 12 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

The massive traffic jam affected twelve buses carrying students from Classes 5 to 10 from various schools, along with some college students from Thane and Mumbai. The vehicles were stuck near Vasai from around 5.30 pm on Tuesday until early Wednesday morning.

The children, returning from a school picnic near Virar, had to wait for hours without food or water.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Vasai, Poornima Chowgule-Shringi, confirmed the jam was still being cleared. An activist said, “The students were crying due to hunger and exhaustion. It was heartbreaking to see them suffer because of the poor traffic management.”

The congestion was reportedly triggered by the diversion of heavy vehicles due to ongoing repair works on the Ghodbunder highway in Thane, which overloaded the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, the activist explained.

An official from the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police control room said, “The congestion is slowly easing, but movement remains sluggish.”

Some buses managed to take alternate routes, while others moved forward slowly through the jam. The last stranded buses reached their destinations by 6 am on Wednesday, sources said.

Parents and residents blamed poor planning and a lack of coordination among authorities.

“Our children were left helpless for hours. There was no police, no information, no system in place,” one parent said.

Residents have demanded that the traffic department and civic authorities take immediate corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future, especially during road repair work and diversions.