KARACHI: A train in Pakistan smashed into derailed carriages of another train on Monday, killing at least 51 people and injuring nearly 100, with rescue work underway to evacuate survivors trapped in the debris, officials said.
According to railway officials, about 1,100 passengers were on board the trains when the collision occurred near Ghotki town, about 420 km north of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and capital of the Sindh province.
“At least 51 dead bodies have been recovered, but the death toll is expected to rise as some people are feared to be under the collapsed bogies,” Umar Tufail, Senior Superintendent of Police, told Arab News.
The trains’ drivers and crew are reportedly safe. However, Tufail said 25 passengers had been moved to a hospital and were in a “very critical condition,” while television footage showed several rescuers using cranes and other equipment to try and reach those trapped inside the wreckage.
“We have seen more dead bodies [while] clearing the last train bogie, so the death toll may increase,” Tufail said.
According to Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) Sukkur Hameedullah Lashari, the collision occurred before dawn after the Sir Syed Express train, traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi, crashed into the Sargodha-bound Millat Express Train.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused Millat’s derailment and the subsequent crash. However, Lashari said a probe would be launched into the incident once rescue work was completed.
“Our first priority is rescue work, after which the matter will be investigated, and an inquiry report will be issued within 24 hours,” he told Arab News.
The driver of the Sir Syed Express train said he had applied the brakes after seeing the bogies but failed to stop the train in time, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, Tariq Asad, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways, said the collision occurred despite a “quick alert system” in place to halt traffic in such cases.
“Unluckily, it happened in a matter of a few seconds. The Millat Express Train going upcountry derailed, and its bogies fell across the down track, some 30 seconds before Sir Syed Express arrived and hit the bogies,” Asad added.
Several Rangers and Pakistan army troops were assisting rescue workers, with military doctors and paramedics deployed at the site of the inciden, according to a statement by the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing.
“Two helicopters are being flown from Multan for casualties’ evacuation and speedy relief measures,” it added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed “deep sorrow” over the incident, directing Railways Minister Azam Swati to oversee the rescue work, before ordering a probe into the crash.
“Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead,” Khan said in a Twitter post. “Have asked Railway Minister to reach the site and ensure medical assistance to the injured and support for families of the dead. Ordering a comprehensive investigation into railway safety fault lines.”
After the incident, opposition party leader and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq demanded the resignation of railway minister Azam Swati.
In the address to the national assembly, information minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, rejected Rafiq’s demand, saying such accidents occurred because the previous government of which Rafiq was a part had not upgraded railways infrastructure.
Pakistan has a fragile railways network with hundreds of lives lost in collisions and due to accidents at unmanned railway crossings.
Nearly 74 people were killed, most of them burnt alive, when three coaches of a Rawalpindi-bound train caught fire near Rahim Yar Khan in October 2019 in one of the worst train accidents reported.
In February last year, 19 people were killed in Sindh’s Rohri area after a passenger train hit a bus, while 20 Sikh pilgrims died in a train crash near the Sheikhupura city in Punjab province in July.
Train collides with derailed carriages in southern Pakistan, killing 51
https://arab.news/8gfxm
Train collides with derailed carriages in southern Pakistan, killing 51
- Death toll expected to rise as rescue work underway to evacuate trapped survivors, officials say
- Information minister says such accidents occur because previous government did not spend on upgrading infrastructure
Pakistan military says ex-PM Khan’s narrative has become ‘threat to national security’
- Military spokesperson responds to Khan’s fresh criticism of Pakistan’s powerful army chief, whom he accuses of denying him basic rights
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warns army will “come bare knuckle” if Khan and his party do not desist from attacking military leadership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that former prime minister Imran Khan’s narrative against the armed forces has become a “national security threat,” warning him and his party to keep the army out of political statements.
Chaudhry’s criticism comes in response to Khan’s latest statement, released by his account on social media platform X on Thursday, in which he blamed Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “the complete collapse of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”
Khan, who was ousted via a parliamentary vote in April 2022, blames the country’s powerful army for colluding with his political rivals to keep him away from power. He blames the military and the incumbent government for keeping him in solitary confinement in a central prison in Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s military and the government have strongly rejected his claims.
“It may seem to you a bit strange coming from me this because that person [Khan] and the narrative he is pushing, it has become a national security threat,” Chaudhry told reporters at a news conference.
“And that is why it is very important that we come clear, without any ambiguity, without any doubt. We need to come clear and we need to say what needs to be said,” he added.
Throughout the press conference, Chaudhry kept referring to the former prime minister as a “mentally ill” person. He played video clips of Indian news channels and Afghanistan’s social media accounts promoting Khan’s statements against the military.
“Why would they not do it? Because sitting in your country, a mindset, a mentally ill person sitting here is saying these things against the military and its leadership,” he said.
The military spokesperson warned Khan and his party against criticizing the military. He added that while the military welcomes constructive criticism, it should be kept away from political statements.
“If someone for the sake of his own self, his delusional mindset and narcissistic thinking attacks this armed forces and its leadership, then we will also come bare knuckle,” he warned.
“There should be no doubt on that.”
Khan, who remains in prison on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated, continues to be popular among the masses.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has frequently led rallies to demand his release from jail, including one in May 2023 and another in November 2024 that saw clashes with law enforcement personnel.
While the former prime minister continues to remain behind bars, rallies organized by the PTI still draw thousands of people across the country and his party still enjoys a sizable following on social media platforms.
