BAHAWALPUR: A speeding mini-truck crushed a policeman before overturning and injuring eight cattle traders riding it near Rukanpur in Lodhran district on Friday.

According to Rescue 1122 and police, patrol police were checking the traffic by barricading the Khanewal-Lodhran highway near Rukanpur when Constable Peeran Ditta (45) signaled the speeding mini-truck laden with cattle heads to stop.

The truck crushed the constable to death under its wheels and overturned. The driver had flung out of the truck wreckage and eight cattle traders who were riding the truck along with cattle suffered injuries.

The 1122 rescuers reaching the scene on emergency call shifted the constable’s body and seriously injured traders to the DHQ Hospital Lodhran.

The injured traders included Ramzan, Dildar, Naveed, Rashid, Asif, Irfan, Zulfiqar and Mushtaq.

A case was registered against fleeing truck driver.

DROWNING: A four-year-old boy drowned in the Peerjewan Canal in Kahrore Pacca while a girl child was rescued by locals.

According to Lodhran Rescue 1122, both four-year-old children, Usman and Khadija, were playing near the canal when they fell into it. The locals rescued Khadija while Usman drowned. His body was retrieved by the rescuers and handed over to the family. Khadija was shifted to THQ Hospital.

In another road accident, one Abid Hussain (27), a motorcyclist, was killed while his three pillion riders suffered injuries when two motorcyclists collided with each other on the Suiwala Jalalpur Pirwala Road near Lodhran. Abid was run over by a trailer coming behind his motorcycle.

Police arrested the trailer driver.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2026