- Rescue officials say the accident took place in Sargodha.
- Suppose the driver lost control due to poor visibility.
- The truck was carrying 23 passengers.
SARGODHA: The death toll following the road accident caused by dense fog in Sargodha rose to 14 as more victims succumbed to their injuries, rescue officials said on Saturday.
The accident occurred when heavy fog reduced visibility on the road in the urban area of Kot Momin, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The truck plunged into the Ghala Pur Bangla canal, which was dry at the time of the incident, Rescue 1122 officials said.
Rescue teams said the truck was carrying 23 people. Seven of them were crushed under the vehicle and died instantly.
Rescuers quickly arrived at the scene and began rescue operations. The bodies of the victims and injured were removed and transferred to the nearby THQ Hospital, where seven more people died during treatment.
The identities of the victims and injured have not yet been released. The passengers were going to a funeral.
The entire province of Punjab is currently in the grip of thick fog which reduces visibility on the roads.
Officials said poor visibility due to fog made driving extremely dangerous in the area during winter mornings and nights. They urged motorists to slow down and take extra care in fog to avoid such accidents.
A similar incident caused by poor visibility amid thick fog took place in Dera Ismail Khan earlier this week, when two people were killed and 14 others injured in a collision between a sugar-laden trailer and a passenger van.
The accident took place near Basti Dawana under Taunsa Sharif limits on the Indus Highway on Tuesday.
According to reports, the sugar-laden trailer was traveling from Rahim Yar Khan to Kohat, while the passenger van was traveling from Rammak to Multan.
A tractor trolley loaded with sugarcane was parked on the side of the road and thick fog reduced visibility considerably.
As the trailer attempted to pass the tractor trailer, it collided with the oncoming van due to fog, causing a tragic accident.
