New Delhi: At least 13 people lost their lives in a devastating road accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura on Tuesday morning after a dense blanket of fog led to a massive multi vehicle pile up. The collision involved seven buses, a tempo traveller and several cars, some of which caught fire following the impact, resulting in passengers being burnt to death.
The death toll rose steadily through the morning as rescue teams recovered bodies from the wreckage, revising the earlier figure of four fatalities to 13. Several others sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Authorities confirmed that all the injured are now out of danger and receiving proper medical care.
The accident occurred during the early hours when visibility on the expressway was extremely poor due to thick fog. Vehicles travelling at speed reportedly failed to notice stationary or slow moving traffic ahead, triggering a chain reaction crash that quickly escalated into a large scale disaster. Fire broke out in some of the vehicles, further complicating rescue efforts and worsening the casualties.
Emergency response teams, including fire services, police and district administration officials, were immediately deployed to the scene. More than a dozen fire tenders and multiple ambulances were pressed into service to douse the flames, rescue trapped passengers and transport the injured to hospitals at Baldev and the district headquarters. Stranded passengers were later shifted from the site using government arranged transport.
Senior officials on site described the incident as extremely unfortunate and said that relief operations were given top priority. Clearing the damaged vehicles and restoring traffic movement on the expressway was also undertaken simultaneously, as long queues of vehicles built up in the affected stretch.
The Chief Minister expressed deep grief over the loss of lives, calling the incident heartbreaking, and conveyed condolences to the families of the victims. Directions were issued to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and continued support for those affected.
This tragedy comes close on the heels of another deadly fog related accident reported a day earlier on the Delhi Mumbai Expressway, highlighting the growing danger posed by poor visibility during winter mornings. Authorities have urged motorists to exercise extreme caution, reduce speed and avoid travel during heavy fog conditions as investigations into the Mathura crash continue.
Sorry, there was a YouTube error.
