The death toll from a fog-related roadside accident in Sargodha has risen to 14 after more injured victims succumbed to their injuries, rescue officials confirmed on Saturday.
The incident occurred in the Kot Momin area when dense fog drastically reduced visibility, causing the driver to lose control of a truck that subsequently plunged into the Ghala Pur Bangla canal.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, the canal was dry at the time of the accident, but the impact proved fatal. The truck was carrying 23 passengers who were travelling to attend a funeral. Seven people were crushed beneath the vehicle and died at the scene, while emergency responders swiftly launched rescue operations to retrieve the injured and deceased.
The victims were shifted to a nearby Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where seven more passengers died during treatment, bringing the total death toll to 14. Among the deceased were six children and five women, highlighting the tragic scale of the incident. Several others sustained injuries and remain under medical care.
Rescue teams said poor visibility caused by heavy fog was the primary factor behind the crash. Thick fog has engulfed large parts of Punjab in recent days, significantly reducing visibility on roads, particularly during early mornings and night hours.
Authorities have repeatedly warned motorists to exercise caution, reduce speed, and use fog lights when travelling in such conditions.
In a separate fog-related incident in Lahore, one person was killed and two others critically injured after their motorcycle collided with a stationary tractor-trolley on Gurumangat Road in the Gulberg area. Police said the deceased was identified as M Wasi, while the injured, Abdul Razzaq and Abdul Hadi, were shifted to hospital in critical condition.
Earlier this week, another fatal accident linked to poor visibility occurred in Dera Ismail Khan. Two people were killed and 14 injured when a sugar-laden trailer collided with a passenger van near Basti Dawana on the Indus Highway. Officials said dense fog and a parked tractor-trolley contributed to the collision.
