14 killed after truck falls into Sargodha canal due to fog

At least 14 people, including women and children, were killed and nine others were injured early on Saturday when a truck carrying cargo and passengers fell into a canal from the Galapur Bangla bridge in Punjab’s Sargodha district due to fog, said rescue services.

The deceased included six children and five women.

According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad with 23 people on board for a funeral when the unfortunate incident took place.

“Due to heavy fog, the motorway was closed, so the vehicle took a local route. In the area of Kot Momin tehsil, the truck fell from the Galapur bridge into the canal,” said a statement from Rescue 1122, adding that the truck “lost control because of poor visibility”.

Dense fog often paralyses traffic on Punjab’s motorways and major thoroughfares during the winter months.

Earlier today, different sections of motorways, including the M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4 and M-11 were closed due to dense fog, according to the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP).

The Rescue 1122 statement added that the canal was dry, but passengers were stuck beneath the truck when it overturned. The injured were provided first aid on site and were then taken to Civil Hospital Kot Momin. Rescue services also shifted the bodies to the medical facility.

“The incident was reported at 1:48am on January 17, 2025, after which rescue operations were launched immediately,” said the statement.

Fatal road accidents on highways occur frequently in Pakistan, with the main reasons including overspeeding, hazardous overtaking and disregard for traffic rules.

Earlier this month, five passengers lost their lives while 24 others sustained injuries after a bus plunged into a ravine in Punjab’s Talagang district.

On December 31, at least 14 passengers were killed and 16 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus carrying players of a university and a van on Jhang-Faisalabad road near the Adda Faqeer Di Kulli area.

According to Rescue 1122, the police and the district administration, the accident occurred due to speeding by both vehicles when one was overtaking while the other was crossing a sugarcane-laden tractor trolley.

Following the incident, four officials of the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) were suspended for failing to stop the overspeeding vehicles.

In early December, reduced visibility due to fog resulted in the collision of six trailer trucks on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M5), leaving seven people injured.