Lahore, August 16: While Pakistan was immersed in celebrating its Independence Day, the Punjab province faced a grim series of road accidents that resulted in 17 fatalities and left 1,773 individuals injured across 1,659 traffic incidents, as reported by Dawn.
Among these accidents, Lahore bore the brunt, registering the highest number of road mishaps. On the day following Independence Day, major government hospitals in Lahore struggled to cope with an extraordinary influx of patients who had sustained injuries in these road accidents.
Official data from the Emergency Service Department (ESD) revealed that on August 13, a day before Independence Day, a total of nine individuals lost their lives, and 1,338 others sustained injuries in 1,234 road accidents across the province.
The repercussions of these accidents extended beyond injuries, with a number of individuals left permanently disabled. ESD's data indicated that 99 people suffered severe head injuries, while 187 others endured multiple fractures.
Out of the total of 1,773 injured individuals, 850 were admitted to hospitals with serious and critical injuries, while 891 sustained minor injuries. The latter group received immediate first aid and treatment from Rescue 1122 medical teams on-site.
The ESD report emphasized that a significant majority (72 percent) of these accidents involved motorbikes, highlighting the urgent need for enforcing traffic laws and maintaining lane discipline to curb the escalating number of road crashes.
Analyzing the victims, the report indicated that 833 were drivers, 88 were underage drivers, 211 were pedestrians, and 710 were passengers affected by these road accidents.
The statistics further revealed that 424 road accidents were reported in Lahore, impacting 462 individuals. Multan witnessed 148 incidents, leading to injuries for 151 individuals, while Faisalabad saw 96 accidents and 91 victims.
Of the total victims, 1,441 were males and 313 were females. In terms of age groups, 415 were under 18 years old, 891 fell between the ages of 18 and 40, and the remaining 448 were above 40 years of age.
Regarding vehicles, the data unveiled that out of the 1,773 accidents, 1,481 involved motorbikes, 78 were auto-rickshaws, 160 were motorcars, 27 were vans, 13 were passenger buses, 24 were trucks, and 113 were other types of vehicles and slow-moving carts.
In addition to these road accidents, tragic incidents unfolded in Lahore as well. A minor girl lost her life due to a stray bullet while enjoying Independence Day celebrations with her parents at Minar-i-Pakistan. Similarly, a young man, the only brother to his two sisters, also fell victim to a stray bullet.
- ANI
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