KHARAR, Dec 18— Dense fog triggered a head-on collision between two school buses in Kharar on Thursday morning, leaving two drivers and several students with minor injuries, police and witnesses said.
The buses, belonging to Delhi Public School and St. Ezra International School, collided amid poor visibility during early hours. Those injured were given first aid at the spot, officials said.
“There was heavy fog and visibility was extremely low,” a local resident who witnessed the accident said. “People nearby rushed to help the children immediately.”
Both buses were badly damaged in the collision, eyewitnesses said. Panic briefly gripped the area before passersby and local residents assisted students in getting out of the vehicles.
The Tricity region has been witnessing dense fog during mornings and late evenings over the past two days. The Meteorological Department has forecast similar conditions in the coming days, raising concerns over road safety.
In view of the cold wave, the Punjab government has announced the closure of schools toward the end of December. December has historically seen a rise in road accidents linked to fog-related low visibility.
Earlier this season, several teachers lost their lives in fog-related accidents on the Fazilka-Jalalabad road. More recently, a school teacher couple died after their car skidded off the road and fell into a canal near Sangatpura village in Moga district.
Social organizations have repeatedly called for safety measures, including revising school and college timings during fog-prone periods, but no changes have been announced so far.
