Mathura, Dec 16 (IANS) At least four people were killed and 25 others injured in a major road accident on the Delhi-Agra Expressway in Mathura on Tuesday morning after seven buses and three cars collided amid dense fog, officials said.

Poor visibility due to thick fog led to a massive multi-vehicle pile-up, as several vehicles crashed into one another in the early hours of the day.

Following the collision, a vehicle caught fire, triggering panic among passengers trapped inside.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar confirmed the incident and said that search and rescue operations were nearing completion, while efforts were underway to clear the highway and safely transport stranded passengers.

“Today at around 4 a.m., eight buses and three smaller vehicles collided with each other. Four people have died in the accident. At least 25 people were injured and were admitted to the district hospital for treatment. None of them is in serious condition, and they are receiving treatment,” he told reporters.

The SSP added that the accident was caused by dense fog and poor visibility, which resulted in the chain collision. He further stated that a few vehicles also caught fire during this incident.

Commenting on the accident, Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh described the incident as “very unfortunate” and shared details of the ongoing relief operations.

He said that while the exact cause of the multi-vehicle pile-up, aggravated by dense fog, would be examined later, the immediate focus was on relief work and ensuring that the injured were provided the best possible medical care.

This collision came a day after a similar incident, when dense fog led to a deadly multi-vehicle crash involving around 20 vehicles on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway early Monday morning.

That accident, which occurred at around 5 a.m., claimed the lives of four people, including two police personnel, and left an estimated 15 to 20 others seriously injured.

Officials said the massive pile-up in that case was also largely attributed to extremely low visibility caused by thick fog blanketing the area, highlighting growing concerns over road safety during winter fog conditions.

–IANS

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