At least four people died and 25 were injured when seven buses and three cars collided on the Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway near Mathura due to low visibility from fog. A fire broke out in the vehicles, requiring 11 fire tenders for rescue efforts. Authorities confirmed the incident occurred early on December 16, 2025, amid worsening air quality in Uttar Pradesh.
The accident unfolded in the early hours of December 16, 2025, on the Yamuna Expressway at Milestone 127 near Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Dense fog, a result of thick smog blanketing large parts of the state, drastically reduced visibility, leading to a multi-vehicle collision involving seven buses and three cars. The pile-up triggered a fire that gutted the vehicles, charring at least four occupants to death and injuring dozens more.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mathura, Shlok Kumar, detailed the sequence of events: “The accident took place at the Yamuna Expressway Milestone 127. The reason was low visibility. Seven buses and three cars collided as a result of which, a fire broke out in all the vehicles. The rescue operation is nearing completion.” He confirmed four fatalities and noted that 25 people had been admitted to hospitals for treatment.
Emergency services responded swiftly, deploying 11 fire tenders to extinguish the blaze and extricate trapped passengers. Videos from the scene, shared by news agencies like ANI and PTI, showed multiple buses engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising amid the foggy conditions. The incident occurred a day after severe smog obscured landmarks like the Taj Mahal in Agra, highlighting ongoing visibility challenges on major highways in northern India.
This tragedy underscores the risks posed by winter fog in the region, where air quality indices have plummeted, affecting road safety. Rescue operations concluded without further casualties reported, though investigations into the exact chain of collisions continue.
