Heavy Fog and Smog Cause Traffic Disruptions, Motorways Closed, Flights Canceled, Trains Delayed
Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi (Web News)
Due to dense fog and smog, motorways were closed, multiple flights were canceled, and 39 flights were delayed. The train schedule was also affected. According to a motorway spokesperson, due to severe fog and smog, the M-4 motorway from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakeem was closed, and the M-4 from Abdul Hakeem to Sheer Shah was also shut down. Additionally, the M-5 motorway from Sheer Shah to Sukkur and the Sialkot motorway were closed for traffic. Visibility was extremely poor, and traffic flow on major highways was severely impacted.
As a result of the adverse weather conditions, 4 flights were canceled and one was diverted to an alternate airport. According to the flight schedule, 39 domestic and international flights were delayed due to smog. Aviation sources reported that the Saudi Arabian flights SV 800 and 801 from Jeddah to Multan were canceled, while PIA flights PK 725 and 726 from Riyadh to Lahore were also canceled. PIA’s flight PK 222 from Dubai to Multan was diverted to Lahore.
Flights from Karachi to Lahore, including PK 302, 303, and PA 401, 405 were delayed, as were flights from Karachi to Islamabad, PK 308, 301, and ER 503. Furthermore, the flight G 9563 from Faisalabad to Sharjah was delayed by 12 hours, and Faisalabad’s flight FZ 392 to Dubai was delayed by 3 hours. Riyadh to Lahore flights XY 317 and 318 experienced a 7-hour delay.
In addition, Lahore to Karachi flights PE 401 and 405 were delayed by 4.5 hours, while PIA’s flight PK 246 from Dammam to Islamabad was delayed by 6 hours, and flight PK 841 from Islamabad to Jeddah was also delayed by 6 hours. Karachi to Islamabad flight PK 308 was delayed by 3 hours and was rescheduled to depart at 7:00 PM, while Karachi to Multan flight PK 330 was leaving ahead of its scheduled time. Dubai to Multan flight FZ 326 was delayed by 2.5 hours.
Islamabad to Karachi flight PK 301 was delayed by 4.5 hours and was scheduled to depart at 2:15 PM. Jeddah to Sialkot flights PK 745 and 746 were delayed by 1.5 to 2 hours. In addition, Dubai to Sialkot flights PKE 620 and 621 faced a 4-hour delay, while Sialkot to Sharjah flight G 953 was delayed by 7 hours.
In Karachi, trains arriving at the Cantonment Station were delayed for several hours. A passenger reported that the Khyber Mail, which was due to arrive at 10:00 PM, reached at 5:00 AM the next day. Passengers faced difficulties as there was no one available to provide updates regarding train schedules. The Sukkur Express also departed late. The delays in train services caused significant inconvenience for travelers.
On the other hand, railway authorities stated that the delays were caused by dense fog in various cities, which affected the movement of trains.