A tragic accident claimed two lives this week as two women schoolteachers perished in an intersection near Lodhran. The incident occurred when Tahira Khatoon, a teacher from Lodhran’s Government Girls High School 35-M, and Rabia Bibi, hailing from Bahawalpur, were returning home after a Monday morning shift at their respective schools.
The teachers were traveling in a rickshaw along with another colleague. As they approached Latsaka Super Chowk on Wednesday evening, the vehicle swerved into them at high speed. The trailer struck the rear of the rickshaw and propelled the three individuals to the pavement below.
Tahira Khatoon and Rabia Bibi were killed instantly in the collision, while a third teacher sustained minor injuries before being taken to a hospital.
A local eyewitness, Teacher Sofia Khaliq, recounted what she observed: “A fast-moving trailer then ran over them from behind, causing two teachers to fall. They died on the spot.”
The Lodhran Police registered an immediate case and began an investigation into this incident. Local civic leaders and traders were visibly upset by the event, voicing their concern about the ongoing hazards at Latsaka Super Chowk and Bahawalpur Super Chowk.
Ex-Anjuman-e-Tajran president Rao Ehsanul Haq expressed anguish, stating that dozens of lives are lost annually in these intersections due to speeding vehicles and the incomplete construction of the Bahawalpur Super Chowk flyover. He called for action from the Punjab government to resume the project’s completion.
Qaiser Chaudhry, an advocate, urged authorities to deploy dedicated traffic police and install online monitoring cameras until the project is completed. He emphasized the necessity of enforcing strict adherence to traffic laws as well.
In a move towards welfare, advocates called on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to introduce a financial assistance scheme for families whose members die in road accidents. This was meant to ensure that children could continue their education in such tragic circumstances.