New Delhi: Large parts of north India were wrapped in thick smog on Monday, bringing air, rail and road traffic to a near standstill and raising serious safety concerns across the region.
In a major accident linked to poor visibility, four people were killed and at least 25 others injured after several vehicles collided on the Delhi Agra Expressway near Mathura. Officials said seven buses and three cars were involved in the pile up as visibility dropped to almost zero. The impact caused some vehicles to catch fire, worsening the situation and putting passengers in nearby vehicles at risk.
Rescue operations were launched immediately after the accident was reported. Fire service teams and local police rushed to the spot to evacuate passengers and clear the damaged vehicles. Senior police officer Shlok Kumar said the rescue work was nearly complete and traffic was being slowly restored. He confirmed that four deaths had been recorded so far.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, and officials said none of them were in critical condition. Authorities also arranged government transport to help stranded passengers reach their homes safely.
The dense smog severely affected daily life in and around the national capital. Flight schedules, train services and road traffic were disrupted across Delhi and neighbouring regions. Similar conditions were reported in parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where commuters faced long delays on highways.
With pollution levels remaining high, the Delhi government shifted classes to online mode for students up to Class five as a precautionary measure.
Weather officials said the cold wave conditions are likely to continue for a few more days. Temperatures in Delhi hovered around 14 degrees Celsius at night and dipped to nearly 10 degrees Celsius in the early morning hours, adding to the intensity of the smog.
Residents expressed growing frustration, saying that despite repeated discussions in Parliament and public warnings, they have seen little concrete action from both state and central authorities to address pollution and winter smog in the region.