LAHORE: Thick fog that blanketed south Punjab on Sunday caused many road accidents, killing several people, including an officer of the Motorway Police, and injuring many others.

The Motorway Police said the 6km stretch of Khanewal to Lodhran highway from Jahanian, Dunaypur to Chowk Maitla witnessed accidents every 200 or 300 metres.

Patrol officer Muhammad Saeed was securing the scene of an accident after the collision of a bus and a truck due to dense fog near Basti Malook, Multan sector. While he was placing reflecting cones and amber light around the bags of wheat that fell from the truck, a bus hit him from the rear, resulting in severe injuries.

The officer was rushed to a nearby hospital but he could not survive. The deceased was a resident of Chah Shaheedanwala, Bhakkar. He leaves behind his widow and one-year-old daughter.

The Motorway Police reported that thick fog in south Punjab covered the National Highway from Chichawatni to Mian Channu, Khane­wal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Ahmadpur Sharqia and Tarinda Muhammadpannah, disrupting traffic a great deal.

The Met department said foggy conditions were likely to continue in the plains of Punjab, upper Sindh and Peshawar division during Sunday night and Monday morning. Cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country over the next 24 hours. Very cold, dry weather in night hours and frost in morning hours are expected in upper parts of the country.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018