Dense fog triggers multiple accidents, four PRTC buses among six vehicles damaged
Ashok Verma
Bathinda (Punjab), January 18, 2026: Dense fog in the Bathinda region on Saturday led to a series of road accidents, damaging half a dozen vehicles, including four buses of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC). Several passengers sustained injuries and were admitted to hospitals in Maur and Bathinda, though no loss of life was reported.
According to information, a PRTC bus travelling from Abohar to Chandigarh on the Bathinda–Rampura road had stopped to pick up passengers when it was hit by a tractor-trolley loaded with tiles coming from the wrong side on the service road. The tractor driver was seriously injured, while some bus passengers also suffered injuries.
In another major incident on the Bathinda–Mansa road, poor visibility due to fog caused a chain collision near a dhaba between Bhai Bakhtaur and Maisarkhana. Two PRTC buses, a tractor-trolley, and a vehicle carrying gas cylinders were involved in the pile-up. Several passengers were injured and shifted to different hospitals for treatment.
A separate accident was also reported on the same road near village Kot Phatta, where an Innova car collided with a PRTC bus amid dense fog. Police officials stated that reduced visibility was the primary cause of the accidents, adding that it was a relief that no fatalities occurred.