Yamuna Expressway deadly fog: How 13 travellers met a fiery end - 'Most victims were sleeping'

Yamuna Expressway accident

A catastrophic chain-reaction collision, exacerbated by dense fog, erupted into a deadly fireball on the Yamuna Expressway in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving at least 13 people charred to death and over one hundred injured. The disaster involved a tangle of 18 to 19 vehicles, including eight passenger buses, cars and SUVs, near milestone 127 in Mathura district.

Also read: Yamuna Expressway deaths: How ‘ab to main khul ke gaadi chalaunga’ mindset ignores every danger

According to details pieced together by the authorities and survivors, the sequence of horror began around 3.40 am under the jurisdiction of the Baldeo police station. With visibility reported to be near zero, an initial collision occurred between a bus and a car. This wreckage then became a trap for multiple vehicles approaching from the Agra direction, leading to a massive pile-up.

The situation turned apocalyptic moments later when a thunderous explosion tore through the scene. While the official investigation is ongoing, witnesses and preliminary assessments reported by TOI suggest a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tank on one of the buses may have burst. The subsequent blaze engulfed several vehicles in a raging fire. Most victims were asleep on the buses when the collisions occurred.

Prashant Singh, a passenger on a private bus travelling from Lucknow to Delhi, described the chaos. “I was in deep slumber when suddenly I woke up hearing people shouting and trying to deboard. Though I managed to get down, I saw there was a long line of mangled vehicles. Soon there was a blast,” he was cited by TOI as saying. “We started pulling people out of our bus and stood at a safe distance. But after a point, there's was much left to do."

The ferocity of the fire has severely complicated the identification process. As of now, only three of the thirteen deceased have been formally identified: Akhilendra Pratap Yadav, 44, from Prayagraj; Rampal, 75, from Maharajganj; and Sultan Ahmed, 62, from Gonda. Authorities have initiated DNA sampling to establish the identities of the remaining victims.

In response to the tragedy, the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate. The panel comprises the Additional District Magistrate (city), the Superintendent of Police (rural), Public Works Department engineers, a Regional Transport Office official and representatives from JP Infratech and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). They have been tasked with submitting a report within 48 hours.

Agra Divisional Commissioner Shailendra Singh stated that the inquiry would scrutinise the causes behind the accident and recommend preventive measures.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed their condolences. UP government announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. An additional ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will also be provided to the families of those killed.