14 killed as truck plunges into dry canal in Sargodha fog

At least 14 people were killed and several others injured on Saturday after a truck crashed due to dense fog in Punjab’s Sargodha district, rescue officials said.

The accident occurred near Ghalapur Bangla in Kot Momin tehsil, where visibility was extremely low because of heavy fog. A mini-truck veered off the road and fell into a dry canal, according to rescue officials.

Rescue authorities said seven people died at the scene, while the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. Another seven people later died during treatment, raising the death toll to 14.

At the time of the accident, 23 people were travelling in the truck. They were en route from Islamabad to Faisalabad to attend a funeral. Because the motorway was closed due to fog, the driver had taken a local route.

Rescue teams arrived at the scene soon after receiving the information and launched relief operations. The bodies of the deceased and the injured were shifted to the THQ hospital.

Women and children were among those who lost their lives. The deceased were identified as Misri Khan, Haleema Bibi, Yaseen, Sonia Bibi, Pathani Bibi, Hania, Iman Fatima, Rani Bibi, Haris, Waseem, Horain, Aamna, Hareem Fatima and Saqlain. The injured were identified as Hasnain, Saqlain, Zaheer, Mumtaz, Kashif, Nadeem, Shamim, Nadia and Parveen.

Rescue officials said all those killed and injured belonged to Islamabad.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths and ordered authorities to ensure strict implementation of traffic laws and safety measures on national highways and strict monitoring of precautionary measures in view of public safety due to fog.