Motorways closed, flight operations disrupted as dense fog engulfs parts of Punjab

LAHORE – Passengers saw their travel plans disrupted after several flights were canceled or rescheduled and motorways were closed amid the dense fog in parts of Punjab.

Reports in local media said international airlines have rearranged their flights' schedules to skip the foggy conditions at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. The schedule of the flights leaving Punjab capital to Jeddah, Kuwait, Doha, Istanbul, London, and Karachi was also altered.

The thick fog also reduced visibility in Punjab on Saturday morning. Motorways M2 from Lahore to Pindi Bhattian, M3 from Faizpur Lahore to Darkhana, and M11 from Lahore to Sialkot were closed for traffic as officials termed visibility ‘very poor’.

In a similar development, four students died and eight suffered injuries after a trailer crashed into a three-wheeler near Bahawalpur’s Kalanch Wala. The accident reportedly occurred due to low visibility.

The motorway police have also advised drivers to turn on fog lights and drive at a very slow speed.

On the other hand, the Met Office has forecast another spell of rain and thunderstorms in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujrat, Narowal, Nowshera, Peshawar, Bajaur, Waziristan, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swabi, and Mardan.