Thick Fog Engulfs Delhi, Over 110 Flights Affected Due to Low Visibility; 6 Dead So Far

Dense fog engulfed the national capital on Wednesday, leaving the people to face nearly zero visibility. Several trains and flights have also hit a delay in their operations because of the fog blankets.

Operations of over 110 flights have been delayed due to fog at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Meanwhile four flights, including three of SpiceJet and one of Air India were diverted to Jaipur between 9 am and 12 pm.

While, more than 25 trains approaching Delhi or passing through Delhi stations are running late due to the dense fog.

Delayed Trains:

• Jat-NDLS Rajdhani: 2 hrs 43 mins late
• Purushottam Express: 4 hrs 54 mins late
• GT Express: 3 hrs 53 mins late
• Uttar SAMPARKKranti: 2 hrs 13 mins late
• Mahabodhi Express: 5 hours late
• Gorakhdham Express: 3 hrs 49 mins late

Delhi (Palam) airport continued to report reduced visibility, which was reported at just 50 metres at 7 am on Wednesday.

An orange alert was issued by the Met department across the city at 8 am as visibility in many parts remained around 50 metres. According to IMD colour codes, ‘yellow’ alert calls for authorities to be aware, an ‘orange’ alert calls for them to remain prepared, while ‘red’ alert calls for most vigil and action.

In view of the foggy conditions over northwest and adjoining central India, authorities have suggested necessary actions to be taken by particular departments to ensure smooth operations.

Transport And Aviation

1. Be careful while driving or travelling through any transport.

2. Use fog lights during driving.

3. Be in touch with airlines, railways and state transportation for schedule of your journey.

Power Sector

1. Keep maintenance teams ready

Health Sector

1. Avoid outings unless emergency.

2. Cover your face while going out.

In a post on X, the Delhi airport also put out a fog alert for all the flyers and said, “While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.”

Satellite imagery shows dense fog over parts of northwest and adjoining central India, capping the lowest visibility level at 0 metres. Let’s take a look:

• Amritsar (Airport): 0 metres
• Patiala: 25 metres
• Srinagar, J&K: 25 metres
• Uttar Pradesh (including Bareilly, Lucknow, Prayagraj): 25 metres
• Rajasthan (Ganganagar, Kota): 50 metres
• Safdarjung, Delhi: 50 metres
• Gwalior, MP: 200 metres
• Bihar (Patna, Gaya): 500 metres
• Jamshedpur, Jharkhand: 500 metres
• Odisha (Jharsugudam, Paradip): 500 metres
• Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh: 500 metres

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that aligning with its prediction, the dense fog cover has been extensive and intensified across north India. The weather department said that the thick layers of fog would have further developed at night and early in the morning for longer durations.

Meanwhile, at least six persons were killed and several others were injured in separate road accidents in various parts of Uttar Pradesh. These accidents are the result of the havoc unleashed by the foggy condition.

A horrific accident on the Unnao-Agra Lucknow Expressway left one person dead 12 others injured. Low visibility due to fog led to the collision of six vehicles, including three buses, one truck and two cars. The incident took place on the intervening night of December 26 and 27.

The vehicles — moving towards Agra from Lucknow — hit each from behind one after the other. A double decker bus had first lost control and hit the divider in the incident which took place near Nasirapur village in Bangarmau area.

Police forces reached the spot and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) personnel were sent to the community health centre (CHC).

Six of 12 injured persons are in a critical condition and they have been referred to the Trauma Centre in Lucknow.

In another incident in Baghpat district, two women were killed and 11 others injured when the van they were travelling in hit a truck in an area under the Khekra Police Station. SHO Rajiv Singh said that the passenger van collided with a truck on the Eastern Peripheral Expressing in the early hours of Wednesday.

In Bareilly’s Hafizganj district, two women were killed and a man was injured when the motorcycle there were travelling on was hit by a tractor.

In Agra, around a dozen vehicles piled up on the national highway, killing one person and injuring six others. The injured persons were admitted to the SN Medical College for treatment.

On Tuesday, about 30 flights, including those with international destinations, were delayed at the Delhi airport due to the fog and low visibility, airport authorities said.

Other than this, the arrival of 14 trains was also delayed due to foggy conditions, officials said.

According to an IMD official, the IGI Airport in Delhi reported visibility at just 50 metres at 10 am on Tuesday. The weather department, for Wednesday, had predicted dense to very dense fog in the morning.

(With PTI inputs)