LAHORE: Eight people were killed and six were injured in smog-related accidents across Punjab on Sunday.

In Bahawalpur, three motorcycle riders were killed when a speeding bus hit their vehicle on Bahawalpur-Yazman road near Yazman, about 30km from here.

According to Yazman police, a passenger coach was going from Ahmedpur East to Faisalabad via Multan. When it reached near Adda 6/DB, its driver could not see a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction due to smog and the coach collided with it. As a result of the collision, three riders of the motorcycle, Ehtesham, Talha and Shehzad, were killed on the spot. The bus driver managed to flee from the scene. Yazman police sent the bodies for postmortem to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) and registered a case against the driver.

In an accident in Jhang district, two youths died and as many were injured when a truck collided with a trailer on Jhang-Khushab road due to smog early morning.

The truck was going to Jhang from Khushab. When it reached near Adda Mari Shah Sakhira, it collided with trailer due to poor visibility. Resultantly, Shahid (22) died on the spot while three persons, identified as Imran (15), Altaf and Mazhar, all residents of village Wasu Astana of Athara Hazari, were injured. The injured were being shifted to the THQ Hospital Athara Hazari when Imran succumbed to his injuries.

In Lahore, a motorcyclist was killed and his wife injured when a speeding tractor-trolley hit them at Kahna due to dense smog in the evening.

Police said Waris, 40, and his wife, Nadia, were travelling on a road when a speeding tractor-trolley hit them.

The couple fell on the road and suffered critical injuries. They were taken to hospital where Waris succumbed to his injuries and his wife was said to be stable.

In the Gujranwala area, a milkman was killed and three van passengers were injured in an accident involving a truck and a van due to fierce fog and smog near Qila Mustafabad.

According to reports, the van driver was unable to see the truck before it because of the smog. As a result, the van hit the truck from its rear side. The milkman, Muhammad Ashraf, who was sitting on the front seat of the van died on the spot and three passengers received minor injuries. Rescue 1122 reached the spot and gave first aid to the injured.

In Toba Tek Singh, a youth died in an accident caused by smog on the Multan-Faisalabad road near Chak 256 GB Philour.

Rajana police said Ihsanul Haq of Chak 255/GB Madehpur was on his way on motorcycle when he failed to see the bus coming from Multan due to poor visibility near Chak 256 GB Philour. The bus hit his motorcycle and as a result he was critically wounded. He was being shifted to the DHQ hospital when he expired.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2017