Pakistan train crash: Passenger train derailment kills at least 30 and leaves 100 injured

A passenger train derailed in southern Pakistan, resulting in the death of at least 30 people and causing injuries to over 100 individuals, as per local broadcaster Geo TV.

Nearly 275km away from Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, the passenger train suffered a derailment, with approximately 10 train cars going off the tracks near a town situated in the southern province of Sindh.

Radio Pakistan reported that on Sunday, numerous carriages of the Hazara Express derailed near the Sarhari railway station in Nawabshah, resulting in injuries to more than 80 individuals besides casualties.

Local media reported that the wounded passengers were shifted to the People’s Medical Hospital in Nawabshah.

Authorities are apprehensive that the ill-fated train was transporting a substantial number of passengers and so the number of casualties might go up.

The reason behind the train derailment, at the moment, was unknown.

Dawn News TV reported that the train was en route from Karachi to Rawalpindi. In response to the incident, rescue teams and police personnel were promptly dispatched to the scene.

Television footage showed many passengers in close proximity to the overturned train carriages, several of which were positioned on their sides.

Railways senior official Sukkur Mahmoodur Rahman confirmed to the local media that the train collision resulted in the derailment of 10 train carriages.

Federal minister for railways and aviation, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that “authorities have been alerted... the railway secretary is present in Nawabshah.”

Local media also reported that frequent accidents and derailments are common on Pakistan’s outdated railway system.

Younis Chandio, the deputy inspector general of police for Benazirabad, stated that nine out of the ten wrecked train carriages had been successfully cleared, allowing for the removal of injured and deceased individuals.

He added that the remaining carriage needs heavy machinery to be cleared.

The train, consisting of 17 carriages with an economy class capacity of 950 passengers and an air-conditioned standard coach capacity of 72, derailed while en route from Karachi to Havelian in the Sanghar district, as per the local media.

Meanwhile, rescue teams of Pakistan Army and Rangers said that “the rescue operation of Pakistan Army will continue till the transfer of the last injured to the hospital and the rehabilitation of the people trapped at the accident site”.

Sunday’s tragic incident comes a day after the Allama Iqbal Express narrowly averted a major disaster when two of its train carriages derailed near Padidan railway station. This event led to the temporary suspension of traffic on the impacted railway track, according to officials.

No casualties were reported, according to rescue officials.