November 19, 2024: Two bikers were killed, and nearly three dozen people sustained injuries in a series of road accidents early on Tuesday morning as a thick blanket of smog reduced visibility to near zero across Noida and other parts of western Uttar Pradesh. The dense fog, which severely impacted traffic conditions, caused several crashes on major highways, including the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.

The most tragic incident occurred on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, where dense fog led to multiple collisions involving a broken-down truck. Several vehicles crashed into the stationary truck, causing significant damage and leaving a number of car occupants injured. The injured were promptly rushed to Saifai Medical College, while one person was transferred to Shikohabad Hospital. Among those involved in the pile-up, one crash victim recalled the terrifying moment, saying, “We couldn’t see anything. Our car hit another vehicle, and then three or four more cars crashed into ours.”

In a separate incident on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, a collision between two trucks due to the thick fog set off a chain reaction. A bus traveling from Panipat to Mathura was unable to stop in time, crashing into the stationary trucks. The crash injured at least a dozen passengers, who were immediately transported to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, in Firozabad, near Agra, another pile-up occurred on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway after a pick-up truck broke down near Nasirpur. Due to the low visibility caused by the fog, several vehicles, including SUVs, failed to spot the stalled truck and collided with each other, resulting in a multi-vehicle crash.

Local police were quickly deployed to the scenes of the accidents to manage the traffic and clear the wreckage. Authorities are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution in the ongoing foggy conditions, which are expected to persist throughout the day.

This series of accidents highlights the severe risks posed by the ongoing pollution and smog issues in the region, with visibility often dropping to dangerous levels during early morning hours.