Mathura, Dec 16 The death toll in the Delhi-Agra Expressway road accident in Mathura has climbed to 13 from four as reported earlier, officials said on Tuesday.
The accident occurred on Tuesday morning when seven buses and three cars collided amid dense fog. 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, several vehicles caught fire, triggering panic among passengers trapped inside.
Confirming the development, Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh mentioned that eight buses, including a state-run bus, were completely charred, and two cars were also burned.
"A total of 70 people were injured in this incident and have been admitted to different hospitals. Two of the injured have been referred to Agra Medical College for advanced treatment. The entire medical team has completed the examination. Here at the mortuary, we received information about the deaths of 13 people," he told the reporters.
Earlier, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar had confirmed that four people lost their lives while 25 others were injured in the accident.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the road accident and has expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
He also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured, according to the Chief Minister's Office.
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.
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