Pakistan

18 killed in accidents across Punjab as smog engulfs province

People advised to use emergency lights, warned against unnecessary travel

Muhammad Shahzad November 06, 2017

Motorists drive through a thick blanket of fog early in the morning. PHOTO: APP

LAHORE: At least 18 people have been killed with dozens others having sustained injuries in road accidents, all of last week, caused by low visibility due to dense smog having engulfed different parts of Punjab.

Three people were killed in Faisalabad on Thursday, 10 people in Jhang on Friday and three in Pasrur on Saturday in various road accidents.

The deadliest road accident occurred in Layyah where three children were killed and many others injured in collision between a speeding truck and a rickshaw near Chowk Azam.

Dense smog almost caused power breakdown in parts of Punjab

Two victims lost lives in an accident in Attock in an accident when a bus ran into a dumper. Five people were killed in an accident on Sheikhpura Road when a van collided with a bus.

On Thursday, three people lost lives in smog-related road accidents. A victim died in Taxila when a passenger van collided with a truck while two people lost their lives in Attock when a van collided with a truck parked on the roadside. Several persons were injured also.

In Faisalabad, eight people were injured when seven vehicles collided with each other. In Pakpattan, 12 injuries were reported when a bus overturned and in a recent accident a man died when a car plunged into a drain in Pindi Bhattian District Hafizabad.

Spokesperson Rescue 1122 Jam Sajjad Hussain said that during smog the number of accidents have decreased but their intensity has increased. So while the accidents are fewer in number, the damage caused is deadlier. A majority of the vehicles involved in these accidents have been passenger buses.

Dense fog engulfs cities in Punjab

Hussain further stated that sensitisation drives by different departments and media to avoid unnecessary travel has played a role in reducing traffic on the roads. He further advises that people use emergency lights while travelling during smog and check visibility levels before setting out on their journey. If visibility was less than 20 feet, they should not travel at all, he added.