At least 13 people were killed and several others were injured in a major multi-vehicle collision on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district early on Tuesday, police said.
The accident occurred around 4 am on the Agra–Noida stretch of the expressway amid extremely low visibility caused by dense fog.
At least seven buses and three cars were involved in the collision, which triggered a fire. Fire and emergency services rushed to the spot, deploying 11 fire tenders to control the blaze and rescue trapped passengers.
According to District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh, the accident occurred near milestone 127 under the Baldev police station limits.
Senior officials, including the DM and SSP, supervised rescue operations carried out by teams from the police, fire services, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Traffic on the expressway was diverted as the road remained blocked. Stranded passengers were later sent to their destinations in government vehicles.
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, Baldev Police Station SHO Ranjana Sachan said.
All 13 died of burns, she said.
Eyewitnesses said the collision was followed by loud explosions, and local villagers rushed to assist in rescue efforts.
A passenger travelling from Lucknow to Delhi said the bus he was in came to a sudden halt after crossing Agra, after which passengers forced open jammed doors to help women and children escape.
The incident comes amid widespread dense fog across Uttar Pradesh and other parts of northern India. On Tuesday morning, several cities, including Agra, Prayagraj, Bareilly and Moradabad, recorded near-zero visibility.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, expressed his condolences to the kin of the deceased.
"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," he said.
"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," Adityanath said.
According to a post from his office, Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
The State has reported a series of fog-related road accidents in recent days. On Monday, six accidents involving 31 vehicles were reported. On Sunday, 29 vehicles were involved in six accidents, killing seven people, while eight accidents on Saturday involving 40 vehicles claimed four lives.
(With inputs from PTI)