Thick smog and reduced visibility is being blamed on a 20-car pileup on an expressway near New Delhi on Thursday that left several people injured.
READ MORE: Indian capital chokes on hazardous levels of air pollution
Battered buses, cars and trucks scattered the accident site on the Yamuna Expressway in northern Mathura city.
Before police arrived on scene, paramedics and passers began pulling injured drivers from vehicles and transporting them to hospital in ambulances.
According to eyewitnesses the incident took place after a bus hit a car.
“No security personnel are present here. Almost 20 to 25 vehicles have piled up. As you can see, the vehicles are in a very bad condition,” said an eyewitness.
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Delhi and its adjoining areas have been engulfed by thick smog since people celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which typically involves people setting off firecrackers.
The smog led to near zero visibility on certain stretches of the expressway, while it was as low as 300-400 metres in other places.
The accident led to massive delays on the expressway as traffic was disrupted.
Cranes were called in to clear the mangled vehicles.
READ MORE: 6.5 million deaths worldwide linked to air pollution
New Delhi, a city of 16 million, ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, with air quality usually worsening at this time of year due to smoke from burning fireworks and crops burnt in nearby states.
Initiatives to clean up Delhi’s air have hit roadblocks in the past.
Authorities have responded with measures such as a ban on old trucks from entering the city and briefly introducing a scheme that limited private vehicle usage to alternate days, but experts say they have done little to reduce pollution.
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