First fog of season triggers pile-ups across state, 1 killed in Kaithal
The first fog of the season on Wednesday morning led to vehicle pile-ups across the state, disrupting traffic and causing accidents. In Kaithal, one person lost his life in a collision between two trucks, while in Karnal, three vehicles collided with one another near Karna Lake on NH-44.
A blanket of fog covered the region, slowing down vehicles on national and state highways. Locals expect that the fog's arrival may indicate an increase in colder days ahead.
The sudden onset of fog severely reduced visibility, creating dangerous road conditions for commuters.
As per data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility levels varied significantly across the region. Chandigarh recorded a visibility of 400 metres, while Hisar experienced nearly zero visibility (50 metres in fog). In Karnal, visibility was reduced to 400 metres in fog and 1,200 metres in smoke, while in Ambala, visibility was 400 metres in fog and 1,000 metres in mist.
Additionally, there has been a 3.7°C drop in the average maximum temperature, which is 2°C below normal for the state. The highest maximum temperature of 31.5°C was recorded in Narnaul. Compared to Tuesday, the average minimum temperature has also fallen by 0.2°C, but remains 3.5°C above normal. The lowest minimum temperature of 13.3°C was recorded in Mahendragarh.
The maximum temperature of Ambala was 24°C, Hisar 25.9°C, Narnaul 31.5°C, Rohtak 24.3°C, Sirsa 28.2°C, Charkhi Dadri 28.7°C, Gurugram 27.5°C, Karnal 23.6°C, Panipat 24.2°C, Sirsa 27.4°C, and Sonepat 24.5°C.
In Kaithal, a tragic accident occurred early in the morning due to heavy fog, resulting in a collision between two trucks. A driver, identified as 28-year-old Dharmendra Singh from Sangrur district, Punjab, died on the spot, while the other driver fled the scene, abandoning his truck.
Dharmendra was going to Punjab with a truck loaded with sand from Yamunanagar. The incident took place at 7 am when he stopped at a dhaba near Padla village on Sangatpura road for tea. He returned to his truck and was about to start it when a rice-laden truck rammed into the truck.
