At least 24 people were killed and over 20 were injured in two separate accidents on Saturday, as a truck fell into a dry canal in Punjab’s Sargodha district and a coach overturned near Balochistan’s Ormara tehsil.

In Sargodha, six children were among 14 dead, while nine others were injured in the early hours of Saturday when a truck carrying cargo and passengers fell into a canal from the Galapur Bangla bridge due to fog, said Rescue 1122.

According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad with 23 people on board for a funeral when the unfortunate incident took place.

“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 Galapur 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.

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.

“The incident was reported at 1:48am on January 17, 2026, after which rescue operations were launched immediately,” said the statement.

Dense fog often paralyses traffic on Punjab’s motorways and major thoroughfares during the winter months.

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).

On Tuesday, 10 people died and 21 were injured in multiple fog-related accidents across Punjab.

Four lost their lives in a collision between a bus, a car and a motorcycle in Toba Tek Singh; three were killed when a car and a truck collided near Bhaban on the Indus Highway; three died in two separate accidents in Okara; and seven were critically injured in a multi-vehicle accident in Gujrat.

In early December, reduced visibility due to fog resulted in the collision of six trailer trucks on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M5), leaving seven people injured.

10 dead, over dozen injured in Makran Coastal Highway accident

Separately, 10 people died and over a dozen were injured when a speeding passenger coach overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway at Hudd Goth near Gwadar’s Ormara tehsil.

In an update, the Edhi rescue service said 10 individuals, including a girl, had died in the accident.

It added that an Edhi mobile morgue had been sent to Ormara to bring the bodies to Karachi.

The coach was heading to Jiwani from Karachi, according to Coastal Highway Police Superintendent of Police (SP) Aslam Bangulzai. Earlier in the day, the officer had said nine people died and 14 others were wounded in the accident.

He added that the deceased hailed from various parts of Sindh and were going to Jiwani for labour.

SP Bangulzai said the bodies and the injured were initially taken to PNS Darman Jah Hospital in Ormara.

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 statement added that on the directives of CM Bugti, critically injured passengers were being airlifted to private hospitals in Karachi for advanced medical care.

The chief minister 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”.

DC Naqeebullah was quoted as saying that all passengers injured in the accident hailed from Sindh.

Condolences

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.

President Zardari offered condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

He stressed that changing weather conditions were an undeniable reality and exercising caution while travelling was essential.

Affirming that safeguarding human lives was the state’s foremost priority, the president instructed provincial governments to enhance public awareness on safe driving.

In his statement, PM Shehbaz prayed for the deceased and directed the authorities concerned to provide the best treatment to the wounded.

He also instructed the authorities to ensure the implementation of traffic laws and safety measures on national highways.

The premier ordered strict monitoring of precautionary measures in view of dense fog to prevent any unfortunate incidents.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif also expressed her deep grief over the loss of precious human lives in the Sargodha truck accident, APP reported.

She emphasised the need for timely rescue and relief operations to support the victims’ families and mitigate the impact of the incident.

CM Maryam directed the commissioner to submit a detailed report on the circumstances leading to the accident and the measures taken for assistance.

She also urged authorities to ensure strict safety protocols on roads and near water channels to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.

Fatal road accidents on highways occur frequently in Pakistan, with the main reasons including overspeeding, hazardous overtaking and disregard for traffic rules.

Earlier this month, five passengers lost their lives while 24 others sustained injuries after a bus plunged into a ravine in Punjab’s Talagang district when the driver opted for an alternative route.

On December 31, at least 14 passengers were killed and 16 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus carrying players of a university and a van on Jhang-Faisalabad road near the Adda Faqeer Di Kulli area.

According to Rescue 1122, the police and the district administration, the accident occurred due to speeding by both vehicles when one was overtaking while the other was crossing a sugarcane-laden tractor trolley.

Following the incident, four officials of the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) were suspended for failing to stop the overspeeding vehicles.