99 Dead, Over 11,900 Injured in 9,556 Road Accidents Across Punjab During Eid Holidays

By Dr. Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: At least 99 people lost their lives and 11,922 others were injured in 9,556 road traffic accidents reported across Punjab during the five days of Eid holidays, according to emergency officials.
Director General of Rescue 1122, Dr. Rizwan Naseer, expressed concern over the rising number of road crashes and resulting casualties. He urged motorcyclists to avoid reckless driving and adhere to speed limits, particularly maintaining speeds below 50 km/h to prevent fatalities and disabilities.
Dr. Naseer also commended rescue personnel who remained on duty during Eid, providing uninterrupted emergency services across the province. He said more than 12,000 rescuers from ambulance, fire, and motorbike response units handled 34,060 emergencies in all districts during the holiday period.
He shared these remarks while chairing an operational review meeting attended by senior officials, including directors, wing heads, and the provincial monitoring officer, while district emergency officers joined via video link.
Officials reported a significant surge in motorcycle-related accidents compared to routine figures. Data presented during the meeting showed that 12,007 cases involved accidents and injuries, followed by 5,779 cardiovascular emergencies, 4,782 gastrointestinal cases, 2,795 neurological and psychological emergencies, and 2,762 respiratory incidents. Other reported cases included fever and allergy (1,395), diabetic emergencies (870), urinary issues (810), gynecological and obstetric cases (760), back and joint pain (630), fire and rescue incidents (554), and eight eye and ENT-related emergencies.
The highest number of road accidents was recorded in Lahore, where 1,370 incidents involved 1,544 motorcycles. Faisalabad reported 632 accidents involving 728 motorcycles, followed by Multan with 574 accidents and 694 motorcycles. Gujranwala recorded 477 accidents involving 538 motorcycles, while Kasur reported 352 accidents with 409 motorcycles involved.
The lowest number of incidents was reported in Murree, where 30 accidents occurred, including 20 involving motorcycles.
Authorities have called for increased public awareness and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to reduce the growing number of road accidents, particularly during peak holiday periods.