Dense smog has forced authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province to shut several major motorways on Tuesday (16 December), stranding commuters as visibility dropped sharply and Lahore’s air quality reached hazardous levels.
Traffic slowed to a crawl in several areas, with commuters seen navigating through heavy haze as visibility fell to dangerous levels.
In Lahore, the air quality index stood at a hazardous 322 early in the morning, placing the city among the most polluted in the world at the time. Historic landmarks including the Badshahi Mosque and Minar-e-Pakistan were shrouded in smog, while daily life continued under a dense grey cover, with students walking to school and birds barely visible against the skyline.
The closures led to widespread disruption at toll plazas and bus stations. At the Babu Sabu toll gate, access to the motorway was sealed, leaving long lines of vehicles waiting. Bus services were halted, with passengers stranded for hours as they awaited further instructions.
“We’ve been waiting since 6 AM. The buses are ready, but we haven’t been allowed to board and no one is informing us,” said bus passenger Mohammad Naeem, expressing frustration over the uncertainty caused by the shutdown.
Another commuter, Hafiz Safar Abbas, said the situation had left the public anxious. He urged authorities to reopen the motorways as soon as weather conditions allow, stressing that public needs should be prioritised once visibility improves.
"The public is uncertain. If the weather clears, the motorways should reopen immediately," Abbas said
Bus operator Atif Nazir defended the decision, saying the closures were necessary to prevent accidents. He said the move was aimed at protecting both drivers and passengers during poor visibility caused by the smog.
Government authorities said they are monitoring conditions closely and will reopen motorways once it is deemed safe, urging travellers to remain patient as pollution levels and weather conditions continue to fluctuate across the region.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffi...
Kazakhstan has elected its first unicameral Kurultai, bringing into force a sweeping political overhaul launched less than a year ago. The vote mar...
Syrian and Israeli officials held U.S.-brokered talks in Jordan on Sunday to ease tensions after an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near Tü...
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
A newly created pro-government political party has secured a commanding victory in Kazakhstan's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls, strengthening President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's influence at a pivotal moment in the country's political transition.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for a wartime election, arguing that holding a vote while Russia's full-scale invasion continues would divide the country and undermine national unity.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
Rhossi, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that washed up near death on a Welsh beach in 2023, has returned to Texas after more than two years of rehabilitation in the UK.
Glacier coverage in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin has shrunk by 33.7 per cent over the past 70–90 years, according to an updated glacier inventory by Kyrgyzhydromet. The agency says the pace of glacier retreat has accelerated sharply in recent years.
Extreme heat and historically low river levels are forcing nuclear power plants across Southeast Europe to reduce production, increasing pressure on already stretched electricity supplies and prompting governments to call for lower consumption.
Flash floods in Gansu Province in China's northwest last week killed 25 people and injured 23 more, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, raising earlier death tolls.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment