LAHORE: A number of cities in Punjab were engulfed by heavy fog, thus limiting visibility limits and affecting traffic flow, ARY News reported on Thursday.
Traffic police closed several sections of the motorway track to prevent collision of vehicles in the wake of smog. They also advised motorists to use fog lights and avoid unnecessary travel during the current conditions.
At least three people lost their lives and 30 injured in fog-related incidents in cities including Muridke, Toba Tek Singh, and Khairpur. A police officer was also among the dead.
Motorway police can be contacted at helpline 130 for any travel guidance, the police statement added.
In winter, the plains of Punjab engulfed by a thick layer of fog affecting daily life and vehicular traffic. Poor visibility makes travel on motorways dangerous and also affects the air traffic.
According to experts the thick hazy layer understood to be winter’s fog is noxious smog carrying serious health hazards.
The word ‘smog’ is basically derived from the merging of two words; smoke and fog which means that smog is a mixture of smoke and fog, caused by increasing vehicular and industrial emissions. The word ‘smog’ first used for the hazy condition, which results from large amounts of coal burning in an area and is caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide.
