A mini-truck carrying 23 passengers plunged into a dry canal near Gilla Pur Bangla in Kot Momin Tehsil due to extremely low visibility caused by dense fog in Sargodha
SARGODHA/GWADAR: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Jan 17th, 2026) At least 23 people on Saturday died and several others were injured in two separate traffic accidents near Sargodha and Gwadar.
In Sargodha, a mini-truck carrying 23 passengers plunged into a dry canal near Gilla Pur Bangla in Kot Momin Tehsil due to extremely low visibility caused by dense fog. Seven people were killed instantly, while the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where seven more succumbed to their injuries.
The passengers were traveling from Islamabad to Faisalabad to attend a funeral. With the motorway closed due to fog, the driver opted for a local route. Rescue teams arrived promptly to assist victims, and the bodies and injured were transported to THQ Hospital. The victims included women and children, all hailing from Islamabad.
Those killed in the accident included Masri Khan, Halima Bibi, Yaseen, Sonia Bibi, Pathani Bibi, Haniya, Iman Fatima, Rani Bibi, Haris, Wasim, Hoorain, Amna, Haram Fatima, and Saqlain. Among the injured were Hasnain, Saqlain, Zaheer, Mumtaz, Kashif, Nadeem, Shamim, Nadia, and Parveen.
Meanwhile, near Gwadar in Balochistan, a high-speed passenger coach overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway in the Hadda Goth area of Ormara, leaving at least nine dead and 15 injured.
SP Aslam Banglezai of Coastal Highway Police said the Al-Othman passenger coach was traveling from Karachi to Jiwani when it lost control and overturned, causing severe casualties.
Rescue teams immediately transported the dead and injured to Ormara Darman Jah Hospital.
Several injured are in critical condition. The preliminary investigations suggest over-speeding as the Primary cause, while authorities have launched further inquiries.
The accidents highlighted the dangers of road travel in adverse weather conditions and the need for strict traffic safety measures.
