Five killed as dense fog continues in major cities of Punjab

LAHORE: The province of Punjab continues its yearly struggle to breathe and see under heavy fog even on Tuesday after several cities remained covered in freezing fog, disrupting normal life activities and killing at least five people in two major fog-related incidents.

In Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, fog badly disturbed air and land travel throughout the last week, with dozens of flights being cancelled, delayed or diverted to other cities and motorways being closed.

The Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore remained closed for a major part of the day late Monday and had to make changes in its international flight schedules due to fog.

Lahore Motorway Police said that due to thick patches of fog, visibility dropped to zero level on motorway following which they had to close motorway from Lahore to Sheikhupura and Pindi Bhattian.

Fog forced a closure of motorway from Faisalabad to Gojra as well for all kinds of traffic, said a motorway police spokesperson.

It was hard for drivers to pass through the national highway owing to poor visibility particularly from Lahore to Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal and Mian Channu.

At least two persons, in Sahiwal, were killed in a fog-linked accident that involved a truck hitting a motorcyclist while in Vehari, three people lost their lives in another accident on Hasilpur Road.

Motorway Police warned the civilians across the Punjab to avoid unnecessary travel and must use fog lights to stay away from any untoward incidents.