At least 14 killed after truck falls into Sargodha canal due to fog

At least 14 people, including women and children, were killed early on Saturday morning 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 includes six children and five women.

According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad 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 Galapur canal bridge in Tehsil Kot Momin, the truck fell 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 statement added that the canal was dry, but passengers were stuck beneath the truck. The injured were provided first aid on site and were then shifted 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.

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