The death toll from a horrific multi-vehicle collision on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura has climbed to 18, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The tragic incident, which occurred on Tuesday, left most of the victims' bodies so severely burnt that visual identification has become impossible.
Identification Process Relies on DNA Testing
As of Wednesday, only five of the eighteen deceased have been formally identified. Agra divisional commissioner Shailendra Singh stated that the administration is working tirelessly to identify all the dead. DNA samples from 11 people have been collected to aid in this painstaking process. The injured, receiving treatment in hospitals across Agra and Mathura, are being provided with the best possible medical care.
The victims who have been identified so far are:
- Akhilendra Pratap Yadav (44) from Prayagraj
- Rampal (75) from Delhi
- Ram Gopal (75) from Maharajganj
- Sultan Ahmed (62) from Gonda
- Mohammed Shameem (50) from Kanpur Dehat
Shameem was driving one of the buses that caught fire in the collision. Sources indicate that, so far, only the body of Akhilendra Pratap Yadav has been handed over to his grieving family.
Families in Anguish Await Closure
Outside the autopsy centre, heart-wrenching scenes unfolded as families arrived, desperate for information. Mohammed Shameem's brother, Raja, shared that his brother was the sole breadwinner for his wife and three children, driving the Shatabdi Express bus route from Kanpur to Delhi. The family has already provided DNA samples.
Many families travelled to Mathura after repeated attempts to contact their relatives went unanswered. By Wednesday, over 20 people had gathered at the centre, only to be told that DNA testing was the only viable option for identification.
Sunil Kumar was searching for his brother, Devendra (28), who had boarded a sleeper bus from Hamirpur to Noida, where he worked as a labour assistant. "I last spoke to him around 9 pm. His phone has been switched off ever since," Kumar said, adding that his father had given a DNA sample.
Investigation Focuses on Road and Weather Conditions
As the identification efforts continue, authorities have also launched a probe into the causes of the catastrophic accident. A Mathura ADM (Additional District Magistrate) revealed that the investigation team is analysing various factors, including the road curvature and the possible presence of fog at the time of the collision. The analysis aims to determine the precise sequence of events that led to this massive loss of life on the busy expressway.
