SARGODHA: At least 14 people were killed and several others injured in a tragic road accident late at night in Sargodha due to dense fog.
According to rescue and police officials, the accident occurred around 1:45 am near Ghalapur Bangla, in the limits of Kot Momin tehsil. A Mazda mini truck carrying around 23 passengers, including women and children, lost control because of poor visibility and fell into a dry canal after skidding off a bridge.
Rescue authorities said that several passengers were trapped under the overturned vehicle. Seven people died on the spot, while others were shifted to THQ Kot Momin and later to DHQ Hospital Sargodha, where seven more injured persons died during treatment. At least 11 people were injured, three of them reported to be in critical condition.
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Police said the victims belonged to Rawalpindi and were travelling to Faisalabad to attend the funeral of a relative when the accident occurred.
Initial investigations suggest that dense fog, low visibility, and over-speeding were the main causes of the accident. Officials from the irrigation department confirmed that the canal was closed due to water rotation (warabandi), which is why there was no water in it.
Police and rescue teams are continuing further investigation into the incident.
