24 dead, over 20 injured in separate road accidents in Punjab, Balochistan

President, PM express deep sorrow over loss of lives

ISLAMABAD:  At least 24 people were killed and over 20 were injured in two separate accidents on Saturday, as a truck fell into a dry canal in Punjab’s Sargodha district and a coach overturned near Balochistan’s Ormara tehsil.

In Sargodha, six children were among 14 dead, while nine others were injured in the early hours of Saturday when a truck carrying cargo and passengers fell into a canal from the Galapur Bangla bridge due to fog, said Rescue 1122.

According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad with 23 people on board for a funeral when the unfortunate incident took place.

“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,” said a statement from Rescue 1122, adding that the truck “lost control because of poor visibility”.

The Rescue 1122 statement added that the canal was dry, but passengers were stuck beneath the truck when it overturned.

The injured were provided first aid on site and were then taken to Civil Hospital Kot Momin, along with the bodies. Three of the injured were later shifted to Kot Momin Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

“The incident was reported at 1:48am on January 17, 2026, after which rescue operations were launched immediately,” said the statement.

In an update, the Edhi rescue service said 10 individuals, including a girl, had died in the accident.

It added that an Edhi mobile morgue had been sent to Ormara to bring the bodies to Karachi.

The coach was heading to Jiwani from Karachi, according to Coastal Highway Police Superintendent of Police (SP) Aslam Bangulzai. Earlier in the day, the officer had said nine people died and 14 others were wounded in the accident.

He added that the deceased hailed from various parts of Sindh and were going to Jiwani for labour.

SP Bangulzai said the bodies and the injured were initially taken to PNS Darman Jah Hospital in Ormara.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti held a telephone conversation with Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah to discuss the accident, his office said on X.

They exchanged details regarding the condition of the injured passengers and the medical treatment being provided to them.

The statement added that on the directives of CM Bugti, critically injured passengers were being airlifted to private hospitals in Karachi for advanced medical care.

The chief minister instructed Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Naqeebullah Khan and other relevant authorities to ensure the “immediate shifting of the injured and timely completion of all administrative arrangements”.

DC Naqeebullah was quoted as saying that all passengers injured in the accident hailed from Sindh.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the Sargodha and Ormara accidents, Radio Pakistan reported. Staff Report