Mathura bus fire: 13 dead, 35 injured after several buses catch fire due to accident on Delhi-Agra Expressway

Mathura deadly road accident: Thirteen people have lost their lives and another 35 injured in a multi-vehicle accident on the Delhi-Agra Expressway in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, ANI reported on 16 December. The accident involving three cars, and seven buses (including six sleeper buses), resulted in all the buses catching fire, according to Mathura Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Suresh Chandra Rawat.

Rawat told ANI that at least four people have died in the accident so far, saying “Four dead bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue work is underway.”

Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar told PTI that the vehicles collided due to low visibility. He added that all of those injured have been sent to the hospital. Further, Baldev Police Station SHO Ranjana Sachan confirmed that all of the deceased died of burns.

“Two of the deceased were identified as 44-year-old Akhilendra Pratap Yadav, a resident of Prayagraj, and 75-year-old Rampal, from Maharajganj district. Of the injured, 15 were admitted to the district hospital, nine each to a community health centre and a private hospital in Baldev, and two to SN Medical College in Agra,” Sachan added.

CM Yogi directs best treatment for injured, ₹2 lakh ex-gratia for families of deceased

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed his condolences to the kin of the deceased. He wrote: “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. 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.”

Also speaking to ANI at the scene, Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has “directed that the injured be given the best possible treatment and that an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each, be given to the families of those who lost their lives. He has also instructed that vehicles be driven at reduced speed in conditions of low visibility to avoid such incidents in the future,” Singh stated.

Mathura accident: Here's what we know

SP Rawat told the agency that the accident occurred near Milestone 127 on the Agra-Noida Lane of the expressway.

“There was a collision of three cars, after which seven buses collided with them, of which one is a roadway bus, and the other six are sleeper buses,” he said giving details of the vehicles involved.

As many as 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Rawat said, adding, “All the buses had caught fire, and the fire has now been brought under control.”

An eyewitness speaking to ANI said that the vehicles were travelling under low visibility conditions and they suddenly heard a loud sound, followed by the buses crashing into one another.

“We were going to Delhi and there… There was low visibility and there was a sudden loud sound. We saw the buses were colliding one by one... When the bus caught fire, people were running and trying to escape,” he said, adding that among the deceased is a member of his family.

Further details are awaited, as per the report.

Poor air quality, low visibility across Uttar Pradesh

The ANI report added that several cities across Uttar Pradesh witnessed thick smog early on 15 December amid poor air quality in northern India. The conditions resulted in sharp drop in visibility across the state.

Famed tourist attraction Taj Mahal (in Agra) was completely invisible to the public, the report said. It cited a local resident saying that the fog was so thick that even vehicles were difficult to see on the roads.

(With inputs from ANI)