Dense to very dense fog across south Haryana on Monday morning triggered multiple fatal accidents and major highway pileups, leaving at least four people dead and more than 30 injured, while Gurugram witnessed traffic chaos and several non-fatal crashes as visibility dropped to as low as 10 metres in some stretches.
The deadliest incident occurred around 7.30am on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Nuh, where at least 18 vehicles were involved in a massive pile-up on the carriageway towards Delhi. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said the chain reaction began when a passenger bus rammed into a dumper truck amid near-zero visibility. A car then hit the bus, followed by multiple heavy vehicles crashing into the wreckage within minutes.
“Another dumper truck loaded with guavas toppled after hitting the mangled car and then rammed into a bitumen-laden truck. Within 15 minutes, nearly 18 vehicles had collided, as visibility was barely 10–15 metres,” a senior NHAI official said, asking not to be named.
Two people died on the spot. They were identified as CISF inspector Harish Sharma, 46, from Alwar, who was travelling to join duty at the CISF headquarters in Delhi; and Sheikh Mohammad Khalil, 44, a Jaipur-based businessman heading to a trade meeting. More than 30 people were injured, with one reported to be in critical condition. Police said an FIR will be registered against the unidentified truck driver who had stopped first on the highway.
Barely two kilometres ahead of the crash site, another four-vehicle pile-up occurred under similar foggy conditions, though all occupants survived with injuries.
In a separate incident in Faridabad, two men were killed when a speeding Ford Endeavour rammed into an illegally parked container truck on the DND–Faridabad flyway between 7.30am and 8am. The deceased were identified as Vishal Kumar, 31; and his driver Sandeep Kumar, 24, both residents of Jaipur. Vishal’s friend Harsh, 25, sustained critical injuries and was shifted to a private hospital. Police said visibility at the time was less than 10 metres.
Gurugram reported three fog-related accidents on Southern Peripheral Road, Golf Course Extension Road and the KMP Expressway, though no fatalities were recorded. Dense fog also caused heavy congestion on the Delhi–Gurugram Expressway, Dwarka Expressway, Golf Course Road and Sohna Road, forcing several office-goers to start late or work from home.
“There was hardly 20 metres of visibility on the expressway. Drivers were guessing lanes, which made driving extremely risky,” said Sunil Sareen, joint convener of DXP-GDA and a Sector 102 resident.
Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic – Gurugram) Rajesh Mohan said police had anticipated foggy conditions and deployed teams early. “We studied black spots and placed tyres at diversions and road conversions to slow vehicles and prevent sudden lane-cutting. Additional barricades were also installed at accident-prone stretches,” he said.
The India Meteorological Department warned that dense to very dense fog is likely to persist in isolated areas of Haryana. “Most districts of southern Haryana, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, Rewari, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh, Rohtak and Sonipat, will continue to experience dense fog. Weather will remain dry,” an IMD official said.
On Monday, Gurugram recorded a maximum temperature of 22.9°C and a minimum of 8.3°C. Traffic police urged motorists to use fog lamps, avoid overtaking and maintain safe distances. Officials said visibility fell below 50 metres at several stretches, prompting immediate deployment of teams at key intersections including Signature Tower, IFFCO Chowk, Cyber City, Rajiv Chowk and Shankar Chowk. Patrolling units were instructed to continuously monitor high-speed corridors and ensure vehicles maintained safe distance on Monday.