KARACHI: A train crashed into a bus carrying passengers at an unmanned railway crossing in southern Pakistan on Friday evening, killing at least 19 people and injuring 43 others, a railway official said.
Tariq Kolachi said the accident took place near the district of Rohri, about 470 kilometers north of Karachi. He said the casualties were on both the bus and the train.
It wasn’t immediately clear who was to blame for the mishap, Kolchi said.
Kolachi said the passenger train, called the Pakistan Express, was en route to Lahore from Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.
The injured were transported to area hospitals, he said.
Train accidents are common in Pakistan, mainly because of the poorly kept railroad system and automobile driver negligence.
Train crashes into passenger bus in south Pakistan, 19 dead
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Train crashes into passenger bus in south Pakistan, 19 dead
- The accident took place near the district of Rohri, about 470 kilometers north of Karachi
- Pakistan Express was en route to Lahore from Karachi
Pakistan launches double-decker buses in Karachi after 65 years to tackle transport woes
- Karachi citizens will be able to travel in double-decker buses from Jan. 1, says Sindh government
- City faces mounting transport challenges such as lack of buses, traffic congestion, poorly built roads
ISLAMABAD: The government in Sindh province on Wednesday launched double-decker buses in the provincial capital of Karachi after a gap of 65 years, vowing to improve public transport facilities in the metropolis.
Double-decker buses are designed to carry more passengers than single-deck vehicles without taking up extra road space. The development takes place amid increasing criticism against the Sindh government regarding Karachi’s mounting public transport challenges and poor infrastructural problems.
Pakistan’s largest city by population faces severe transportation challenges due to overcrowding in buses, traffic congestion and limited bus options. Commuters, as a result, rely on private vehicles or unregulated transport options that are often unsafe and expensive.
“Double-decker buses have once again been introduced for the people of Karachi after 65 years,” a statement issued by the Sindh information ministry said.
Sindh Transportation Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah inaugurated the bus service. The ministry said the facility will be available to the public starting Jan. 1.
The statement highlighted that new electric bus routes will also be launched across the entire province starting next week. It added that the aim of introducing air-conditioned buses, low-fare services, and fare subsidies is to make public transport more accessible to the people.
The ministry noted that approximately 1.5 million people travel daily in Karachi using the People’s Bus Service, while around 75,000 passengers use the Orange Line and Green Line BRT services.
“With the integration of these routes, efforts are being made to benefit up to 100,000 additional people,” the ministry said.
