14 killed as several vehicles collide on motorway near Hafizabad

Several sections of motorway closed due to dense fog

At least 14 people were killed and dozens others injured as several vehicles collided near Hafizabad on the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway on Thursday.

Around 11 vehicles reportedly collided due to dense fog. At least 50 people were injured who have been shifted to a hospital in Pindi Bhattian district.

Talking to The Express Tribune, motorway police representative Zeeshan said the accident occurred at 6 am. Of the 70 injured, 65 minor injured have left for their destination after receiving treatment. Five of the severely injured were shifted to Trauma Center Hafizabad and District Headquarters Hospitals (DHQ) Sheikhupura.

According to police, four of the deceased have been identified as Hamid, Safdar, Mukhtar and Khushnod while identities of others are yet to be ascertained.



In another similar accident in Faisalabad, two cars collided near Chiraghabad Interchange, killing three people including a woman. The injured have been shifted to Allied Hospital.

In yet another incident, at least four people were killed while another was injured as their car skidded off the road due to fog in Khanpur and fell into a river.

Meanwhile, several sections of the motorway were closed to avoid further accidents as visibility range decreased to as low as 20 metres.

A thick blanket of fog, or rather smog, in Punjab is here to stay, at least till it rains. While normally Punjab experiences foggy weather in December, the environmental phenomenon is unusual this early. Lahore and its adjoining districts have not received rain since October. The formation of smog – a combination of smoke and fog – may be attributed to rising pollution levels as well as accumulation of dust from the ongoing construction projects.