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SARGODHA, Jan 17 (APP):14 people,including women and children were killed and nine others sustained serious injuries when a loader Mazda truck plunged into a dry canal near Ghulapur area of Kot Momin police station due to dense fog and speeding early Saturday.
According to rescue sources and police,the ill-fated vehicle (FSD-456) carrying around 23 passengers was traveling from Islamabad to Faisalabad to attend a funeral.
The driver was reportedly forced to take the local route after the Motorway was closed for traffic due to thick fog.
Police officials stated that the driver lost control of the vehicle owing to low visibility,causing the truck to fall off a bridge into the dry Ghulapur canal.
The victims,belonging to the same family from Rawalpindi were trapped under the overturned vehicle,resulting in immediate casualties.
The deceased were identified by rescue officials as Halima Bibi (65),Sonia Bibi (35),Pathani Bibi (35),Eman Fatima (19),Rani Bibi (31),Misri Khan(50),Yasin (65) and Waseem Abbas (30).
The six children who lost their lives included Hania (2),Muhammad Haris (2),Hooreen Fatima (3),Amna (1),Haram Fatima (4) and Saqlain (5).
The rescue teams shifted the bodies and the injured to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Kot Momin and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Sargodha.
The injured, who were under treatment,identified as Muhammad Hasnain(02),Saqlain(02),Muhammad Zahir(38), Muhammad Mumtaz(40),Kashif(32),Nadeem(22),Shamim Bibi(55),Nadia(45) and Parveen Bibi(22).
A police spokesman confirmed that an investigation into the incident was initiated,citing poor visibility and over-speeding as the primary causes of the tragic accident.