According to Rescue 1122, the accident took place in the early hours when a truck carrying both passengers and cargo plunged from the Galapur Bangla bridge into a canal in Sargodha.
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Officials said 14 people lost their lives, including six children, while nine others were injured in the crash. The truck was carrying 23 people who were travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad to attend a funeral.
Rescue 1122 explained, “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,” adding that the vehicle “lost control because of poor visibility”.
The rescue service said the canal was dry at the time of the accident, but many passengers were trapped underneath the overturned truck, making rescue work difficult.
Rescue teams provided first aid at the site before shifting the injured and the bodies to Civil Hospital Kot Momin. Later, three injured victims were transferred to Kot Momin Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for further treatment.
“The incident was reported at 1:48am on January 17, 2026, after which rescue operations were launched immediately,” Rescue 1122 stated.
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Dense fog frequently disrupts traffic across Punjab during winter. Earlier, several motorway sections, including M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4, and M-11, were closed due to poor visibility, according to the National Highways and Motorway Police.
Fog-related accidents continue to claim lives in Punjab every winter. Poor visibility and risky detours increase danger for travellers. Stronger safety measures and travel warnings could help prevent such tragedies.
