11 killed as van plunges into canal in Sheikhupura

SHEIKHUPURA: At least 11 people, including women and children, drowned when the van they were traveling in plunged into a canal in Punjab’s Sheikhupura district on Friday, ARY News reported.

According to sources, the van was heading towards Khanqah Dogran from Qila Didar Singh when it skidded off the road and plunged into the canal near Bhootan pura.

After being informed, police and rescue officials rushed to the scene and retrieved the bodies from the canal. The bodies were being shifted to the hospital for medico-legal formalities, the sources added.

Rescue officials were of the view that the van they were traveling in plunged into the canal due to overspeeding and the unavailability of a safety fence along the road.

Last year in November, a loader rickshaw carrying family members near Basti Jamal Shah had overturned and fell into a water canal in which 19 people had been confirmed to have died while the search continues for missing ones.

The rickshaw was carrying at least 28 passengers of the same family to a wedding ceremony, rescue authorities had confirmed, which accidentally fell into Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) in DG Khan.