Road accidents: 18 dead, five injured in four incidents

‘Injured woman, child gain consciousness, will take time to recover’.

BHAKKAR/MULTAN:

As many as 18 people died and five were injured in four major road accidents on Sunday.

Eight people from a family died and two suffered severe injuries in a collision between a car and a truck on National Highway near Bhakkar.

The injured, a woman and a four-year-old child, were taken to Bhakkar district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Doctors treating them said they had gained consciousness but will need several days to recover from the injuries.

The family were on their way to Multan. Witnesses said the car had overturned after crashing into the truck. Rescue 1122 officials moved the bodies to Jandaanwaala tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital.

In Lodhran, four people riding two motorcycles died in a collision with a truck on the Super Highway. The deceased were identified as Sajid, Misbah, Jummi Bibi and Sonia.

Witnesses said Sajid and Misbah were racing when they collided into the truck headed in the opposite direction. In Muzaffargarh and Khanewal, a woman and her three children died in a collision between a bullock cart they were riding and a speeding truck and two people died and three were injured in a collision between a car and a truck. The car, coming from Jahanian, was headed towards Multan. The deceased were identified as Sabir and Yousaf and the injured as Rashid, Asad and Sajid. Shah Jamal police in Baseera, Muzaffargarh, said they had handed over the bodies of the woman and her children to the family.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2012.