LAHORE: Dense fog continued to paralyse road traffic across large parts of Punjab on Tuesday, prompting authorities to close several key motorways.

According to a spokesperson for the National Highway and Motorway Police Central Region, the M-4 Motorway from Gojra to Abdul Hakeem and the M-11 Lahore-Sialkot Motorway were closed for all traffic due to severely reduced visibility around 8pm.

For heavy vehicles, additional closures were imposed on M-4 from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakeem and M-5 from Rahim Yar Khan to Rohri, causing significant disruption in intercity transport and freight movement.

Amid these conditions, a tragic accident occurred on Nawan Kot Road in Layyah, where a loader rickshaw rammed into a parked truck due to poor visibility. The collision resulted in the death of 20-year-old Muhammad Shan, while three others sustained injuries. Rescue 1122 teams shifted the injured to THQ Hospital, Choubara, for medical treatment.

The fog-related hazards were part of a wider pattern of road emergencies reported across Punjab. The Emergency Services Department (Rescue 1122, Punjab) stated that it responded to 1,081 road traffic crashes in the province during the last 24 hours. These incidents claimed 24 lives and left 1,251 people injured.

Of the injured, 521 victims with serious injuries were taken to hospitals, while 730 individuals with minor injuries treated on the spot by Rescue 1122 medical teams.

Data analysis revealed that 70 percent of the crashes involved motorcycles, underlining persistent road safety concerns. The provincial capital recorded the highest number of crashes, with 184 incidents affecting 216 people, followed by Multan with 71 crashes and 78 victims, and Faisalabad with 59 crashes involving 61 victims.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2026