At least seven people died and 13 others were injured in a collision between a passenger van and a mini-truck amid dense fog on Wednesday near Khushab.
The accident took place on the Botala- Mianwali road. Five men and a woman were killed on the spot, while one person died later in a hospital. Four children and a woman were among the 13 people injured in the accident.
According to witnesses, the accident took place because of speeding amid the fog near Botala in Khushab district.
The van was going to Sargodha from Mianwali, while the truck was travelling in the opposite direction. The van was badly damaged in the accident.
The victims also included two brothers. The deceased were identified as Rana Ghulam Mustafa, 70-yearold Waziran Bibi, a resident of Jabi Hal Quaidabad, 50-year-old Ghulam Baqir, a resident of Bajjar, Shafiullah Khan, a resident of Gulmiri Mianwali (Hiace driver), Mohammad Imran and his brother Mohammad Ramzan, residents of Ganjial North Quaidabad and Nadir, a resident of Quaidabad. Shafiullah was driving the van.
The injured included three students and a 12-year-old child. The mini-truck going to Mianwali from Lahore was being driven by 26-yearold Amir Hamza, son of Faqir Hussain, a resident of Hafizabad. He suffered minor injuries, while his assistant remained unhurt.
Rescue 1122 workers shifted the injured and the bodies to the Joharabad District Headquarters Hospital. Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Qazi supervised the treatment of the injured in the emergency room along with the hospital staff.
The deputy commissioner and district police officer also reached the hospital and asked the injured about their condition.
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The MS said while talking to The Express Tribune that timely transfer of the injured to the hospital had helped save their lives. The bodies were also shifted to the DHQ hospital. Three patients with critical injuries were referred to other hospitals after initial treatment.
One of the injured succumbed to injuries, while the rest were undergoing treatment. Deputy Commissioner Khushab Musarat Jabeen and DPO Muhammad Naveed also reached the spot during the rescue operation.
The number of accidents in the region have increased during the ongoing spell of fog. have become normal due to heavy fog.
In another accident, a police van heading to Shahpur Jail from Joharabad collided head on with a truck near Namwali.
As a result, three officials named Nimatullah, Sikandar Hayat and Mohammad Ali were injured. They were also shifted to the DHQ hospital.
A local resident, Mohammad Arshad, said accidents on the route between Khushab and Mianwali had increased due to fog, speeding and uneven road.
He said the single road became more dangerous when it was blanketed by fog. Construction of a double road would help save the lives of commuters, he added.
Rescue 1122 in-charge for Khushab district Hafiz Abdul Rashid said rescue teams rushed to the spot immediately after the accident was reported and shifted the injured to and bodied to the hospital after first aid.
Meanwhile, at least 14 vehicles collided with each other on GT Road due to fog, leaving 12 people injured.
Fog had descended over the area since Tuesday evening g and the visibility range had dropped to 20 metres.
As a result of the fog, 14 vehicles collided with each other near Chiyanwali area of Kamunki tehsil. As a result of the accident, 12 persons were injured.
Rescue teams shifted seven of the injured to Tehsil Hospital Kamonki, while five injured persons given medical aid on the spot.
According to a rescue officer, Rafat Zia, the accident apparently occurred due to speeding despite the fog. The official said drivers should follow the precautionary advice issued by the motorway authorities.
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