Death toll rises to 14 after truck plunges into Sargodha canal

• Rescue officials say crash occurred in Sargodha.
• Say driver lost control due to poor visibility.
• Truck was carrying 23 passengers.

SARGODHA: The death toll from the roadside accident caused by heavy fog in Sargodha has risen to 14, as more victims succumbed to their injuries, the Rescue officials said on Saturday.

The crash happened when thick fog reduced visibility on the road in the city 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, the Rescue 1122 officials said.

Rescue teams said that the truck was carrying 23 people. Seven of them were crushed underneath the vehicle and died on the spot.

Emergency workers reached the scene quickly and started rescue operations. The bodies of the victims and the injured were pulled out and shifted to nearby THQ hospital where seven more people died during treatment.

The deceased include six children and five women. The passengers were on their way to attend a funeral.

The entire Punjab province is currently in grip of thick fog that reduces visibility on roads. 

Officials said the 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 during foggy conditions to avoid such accidents.

In a separate fog-related accident, a man lost his life and two others sustained critical injuries in Lahore yesterday. Police said that their motorcycle collided with a stationary tractor-trolley during heavy fog on Gurumangat Road in the Gulberg area.

As a result, M Wasi died on the spot, while Abdul Razzaq and Abdul Hadi suffered serious injuries. 

A similar incident caused by poor visibility amid thick fog took 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, within the limits of Taunsa Sharif, on the Indus Highway on Tuesday.

According to reports, the trailer loaded with sugar was traveling from Rahim Yar Khan to Kohat, while the passenger van was on its way from Rammak to Multan. 

A tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane was parked on the roadside, and dense fog had severely reduced visibility.

As the trailer attempted to pass the tractor-trolley, it collided with the van coming from the opposite direction due to the fog, resulting in the tragic accident.