• Over 30 people injured in Ormara; seven moved to Karachi
• Punjab CM seeks report after truck falls into canal due to dense fog

SARGODHA / GWADAR: At least 24 people lost their lives and scores were wounded in two road accidents in Punjab and Balo­chistan on Saturday.

In Punjab’s Sargodha district, 14 people were killed and nine were injured after the mini truck they were travelling in fell into a dried canal in the early hours of Saturday due to dense fog that had reduced visibility, while in Balochistan’s Gwadar, a passenger vehicle overturned on the Coastal Highway in Ormara, killing 10 people and leaving over 30 wounded.

According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad with 23 people on board to attend a funeral. “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 Ghalapur bridge into the canal,” said a statement from Rescue 1122, adding that the truck “lost control because of poor visibility”.

The Rescue 1122 statement added that the canal was dry, but passengers were stuck beneath the truck when it overturned. Six children were among the dead.

The injured were provided first aid on site and were then taken to Civil Hospital Kot Momin, along with the bodies. Three of the injured were later shifted to Kot Momin Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

It is pertinent to mention that there is a dangerous turn on the Ghalapur canal, but there is no lighting arrangement on the bridge to prevent any untoward incident. A few days ago, a vehicle fell into the same canal. During winter, dense fog paralyses traffic on Punjab’s motorways and major thoroughfares, forcing road closures by the authorities to prevent accidents.

Earlier in the day, 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).

Balochistan accident

In Balochistan, the accident occurred when a passenger vehicle was en route from Karachi to Jiwani, with most passengers hailing from Sindh. The vehicle overturned on the highway at Hudd Goth near Gwadar’s Ormara tehsil, killing 10 and leaving 35 injured. The driver lost control of the vehicle at a sharp turn after which the bus overturned.

The Balochistan chief minister has sought a report on the incident.

The Edhi rescue service said 10 individuals, including a girl, had died in the accident, adding a mobile morgue had been sent to Ormara to bring the bodies to Karachi.

Meanwhile, at least seven people, who were in critical condition, were moved to Karachi via a navy ship for treatment. Coastal Highway SP Aslam Bangulzai said the deceased hailed from various parts of Sindh and were going to Jiwani for labour. He added that the bodies and the injured were initially taken to PNS Darman Jah Hospital in Ormara.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti held a telephone conversation with Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah to discuss the accident, his office said on X. They exchanged details regarding the condition of the injured passengers and the medical treatment being provided to them. The CM instructed Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Naqeebullah Khan and other relevant authorities to ensure the “immediate shifting of the injured and timely completion of all administrative arrangements”.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif also expressed her deep grief over the loss of precious human lives in the Sargodha truck accident, state-run APP reported. She directed the commissioner to submit a detailed report on the circumstances leading to the accident and the measures taken for assistance.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the Sargodha and Ormara accidents, Radio Pakistan reported.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026