13 killed as dense fog triggers multi-vehicle collision on Yamuna Expressway

At least seven buses and three cars collided and caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday, police said. Several passengers sustained injuries as well

A bus gutted in the fire following the Yamuna Expressway (PTI)

Thirteen people were killed and several injured after a massive vehicle pile-up on the Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway sparked a fire, police said. At least seven buses and three cars collided owing to the dense fog in the early hours of Tuesday near Mathura.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Superintendent of Police, Mathura (Rural), Suresh Chandra Rawat said the accident took place around 4.30 am because of poor visibility due to fog. He said those injured were taken to the District Medical College. “… Several bodies have been decapitated and we are trying to identify them,” he added.

So far, two of the deceased were identified as Akhilendra Pratap Yadav (44), a resident of Prayagraj, and Rampal (75), from Maharajganj district, Baldev Police Station SHO Ranjana Sachan said.

According to officials, the accident took place at Milestone 127 and 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze and conduct a rescue operation.

SSP Mathura, Shlok Kumar, said, “The accident took place at the Yamuna Expressway Milestone 127 near Baldev Police station area. The reason was low visibility. Seven buses and three cars collided as a result of which a fire broke out in all the vehicles. The rescue operation is nearing completion…”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, expressed his condolences to the kin of the deceased. “The loss of life in the road accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district is extremely tragic and heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families,” he said.

“I have instructed the district administration officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. I pray to Lord Ram to grant peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery to the injured,” Adityanath said.

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The incident comes even as large parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR were blanketed by thick smog, with air quality worsening across several cities including Noida and Ghaziabad.

On Monday, fog led to the deaths of three people, two of them police officers, in two separate road accidents involving multiple vehicles in Haryana’s Sonipat and Nuh districts.

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More

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