In yet another incident, at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured after bogies of Rawalpindi-bound Hazara Express derailed near Sahara Railway Station on Sunday. According to a report by Geo News, the incident occurred between Shahzadpur and Nawabshah.
Footage aired on multiple local news channels showed a large number of passengers gathered near the derailed bogies, some of which were lying on their sides. Nine out of 10 wrecked bogies had been cleared, according to Benazirabad Deputy Inspector General of Police Younis Chandio.
The train operations at the interior districts of the Sindh province have been suspended and wounded passengers have been shifted to a hospital in Nawabshah, Geo News reported. It will take upto 18 hours to resume train operations, say railway authorities.
The ill-fated train carried a total of 950 passengers in 17 bogies in economy class and 72 additional passengers in its air-conditioned standard coach. According to Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique, someone could have 'deliberately' caused the action. "It was either a mechanical fault or it was developed," he said.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Army has also joined the relief activities at the site of the accident after special instructions from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. A large number of police personnel are also deployed there.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister has directed the authorities concerned to launch an investigation and called on workers from his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to aid in rescue and relief operations.
The same locomotive train had escaped a serious incident in March after railway officials had placed a rusted train on its tracks. No casualties were reported in that incident.
Pakistan's decaying rail system has an unfortunate record of train accidents, which have only increased in the past few years. In June 2021, at least 65 people were killed after two trains collided in the Sindh province.
Prior to that, 75 passengers burned to death in a fire at an express train in October 2019.
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