LAHORE: At least seven people suffered inj­u­r­ies in a collision of six trailer trucks as visibility had dropped significantly due to fog on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M5) on Tuesday, according to Rescue 1122.

A section of the M5 from Zahir Pir in Rahim Yar Khan to the Multan Sher Shah Interchange — near which the collision took place — was also briefly closed in the morning due to fog hampering visibility.

According to a statement issued by the Rescue 1122, trucks being driven on the motorway collided with stationary ones due to fog.

Separately, Multan Res­cue 1122 spokesperson Arshad Hussain told Dawn that the collision had taken place between six trucks. The rescue service’s statement further detailed that seven people were injured in the accident, of whom two were taken out of a truck during a rescue operation.

Traffic diverted due to closure

National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) spokesperson Imran Shah earlier confirmed to Dawn that the M5 was closed from the Multan Sher Shah Interchange to Zahir Pir in Rahim Yar Khan between 6am and 11:30am due to foggy conditions.

Seven injured; citizens advised to only travel between 10am and 6pm

The M5 is part of the Lahore—Karachi Motor­way network and is operational up to Sukkur. Tuesday’s temporary closure forced thousands of travellers to shift to the National Highway to reach their destinations.

Following the closure, traffic was diverted onto the National Highway fro­m Zahir Pir to Uch Sharif, Alipur and Muzaff­argarh to access Multan and Rahim Yar Khan. The disruption inconvenienced commuters tra­v­e­lling to Jalalpur Pirwala and Shujabad tehsils of Multan district.

Heavy traffic congestion was also reported near several interchanges, including Zahir Pir, Uch Sharif, Jhangra, Jalalpur Pirwala and Shujabad, after the motorway closure.

In a statement released earlier in the day, the NHMP spokesperson said the decision to close a section of the M5 was taken to ensure the safety of motorists as visibility had drop­ped significantly along the affected stretch.

The spokesperson said lane violations during fog could lead to serious accidents and urged motorists to strictly adhere to lane discipline. He advised citizens to travel during the daytime between 10am and 6pm. He also instru­cted motorists to use fog lights, avoid unnecessary travel, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and refrain from speeding.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025