A massive road accident on the Yamuna Expressway early Tuesday (December 16) morning claimed at least 13 lives and left more than 100 people injured after a series of collisions led to a devastating fire. The accident occurred around 4:00 am, when dense fog severely reduced visibility on the highway.
According to police officials, the tragedy began after two cars collided and their drivers stopped on the expressway to argue. Meanwhile, a tempo traveller crashed into the halted vehicles. Subsequently, one bus after another rammed into the pile-up, triggering a chain collision involving multiple buses and a car.
13 Burned Alive, Over 100 Injured in Early Morning Tragedy
As a result, a massive fire broke out, rapidly engulfing the vehicles. Tragically, 13 people were burned alive, while more than 100 passengers sustained injuries. Most of the injured suffered fractures and injuries to the head, arms, legs, and shoulders. Officials said nearly 100 people suffered broken bones.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts were severely hampered as buses had small and elevated emergency windows. Consequently, many passengers were unable to escape easily. Moreover, luggage and curtains inside the buses fueled the fire further.Eventually, rescuers and locals broke the window panes to pull passengers out. All injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals.
After inspecting the site, ADG Agra Zone Anupam Kulshreshtha said that police response vehicles reached the spot within 6, 9, and 13 minutes of receiving the alert. Subsequently, local police, fire tenders, and rescue teams arrived and began relief operations. However, extracting trapped passengers was extremely difficult as seven of the buses were sleeper coaches.
Seven Sleeper Buses Carrying Nearly 400 Passengers Involved
Notably, around 400 passengers were traveling in the buses, which were completely full and loaded with luggage. Since the accident occurred at dawn, most passengers were asleep. Therefore, they had little time to react as vehicles continued crashing one after another.
During the incident, one Uttar Pradesh Roadways bus from Ambedkar Nagar depot, seven double-decker buses, and a Brezza car were completely gutted. As a result, fire spread across nearly 70 meters of the expressway. Flames were so intense that everything within a 10-meter radius was reduced to ashes.
Agra–Delhi Lane of Yamuna Expressway Closed for Five Hours
Following the accident, the Agra-to-Delhi lane of the Yamuna Expressway remained closed for nearly five hours. Meanwhile, traffic police diverted vehicles through alternative routes near Nauhjheel. After a five-hour-long rescue and clearance operation, damaged vehicles were removed and traffic was restored.
Rescue teams from Mathura and two other districts worked continuously to evacuate the injured. At the same time, police personnel collected scattered luggage and kept it at one place. This entire process continued from 4:30 am to around 8:30 am.
Experts have once again highlighted the dangers of high-speed travel in foggy conditions. According to official data, between 2012 and 2023, the Yamuna Expressway witnessed 338 accidents due to dense fog, resulting in 75 deaths and over 665 serious injuries. Furthermore, when data from the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and national highways is included, the situation appears even more alarming.
Meanwhile, advocate KC Jain pointed out that under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, state governments have the authority to restrict or suspend traffic for safety reasons. Therefore, he argued that when visibility drops to near zero during dense fog, expressway traffic should be temporarily halted to prevent such tragedies.
