Three of Tablighi Jamaat die in accident
Three people belonging to a Tablighi Jamaat were killed when their vehicle overturned at Kot Pindi Das near the Kala Shah Kaku Interchange on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway.
The deceased were identified as Eid Badshah, Rahmatullah and Sakhi Rahm.
The victims, who hailed from Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, died on the spot. Seven other people sustained injuries in the accident.
According to Rescue 1122 personnel, the vehicle carrying the Tablighi Jamaat people overturned when one of its tires got burst.
The people were on their way home from a Tablighi Centre in Raiwand.
As soon as Rescue 1122 was informed about the accident, their teams from Muridke and Sheikhupura reached the spot and provided medical aid to the injured.
Umair Ali, Noor Ali Khan and Nazir were carted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Sheikhupura in a critical condition. Four of the injured were given medical aid on the spot.
The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their heirs after medico-legal proceedings. Reportedly, the people who died and those who sustained injuries were sitting in the open section of the vehicle and thus they bore the full impact of the vehicle’s turning turtle.
Scores of people have lost their lives in accidents due to over-speeding and tire bursts on the Motorway.
The Motorway Police and related organizations have been conducting special campaigns for the awareness of traffic rules from time to time, but they are not showing desired results.
A spokesman for the Motorway Police said that a special campaign against unfit vehicles was underway to prevent accidents on the Motorway.
Unfit vehicles would not be permitted to ply the Motorway, said the spokesperson. Cameras had been installed on the Motorway to control speeding and fines were imposed in case of violations.
He further said that a series of meetings and awareness campaigns with the transporters was going on to ensure safe travel on the Motorway.
He said that travelling in open vehicles and by sitting on vehicle's roofs was also prohibited on the Motorway.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2022.