At least 30 people were killed and dozens injured after an express train derailed in southern Pakistan on Sunday, officials said, putting the dilapidated state of the country’s railway infrastructure back into the spotlight. At least 10 coaches of the train, Hazara Express, carrying at least 950 passengers derailed near Nawabshah town, local media reported. Pakistan Killing at Least 30 The train left Karachi at 8 am and was heading towards Havelian in the northern part of the country.
Train Derails in Pakistan Killing at Least 30
Preliminary reports suggested that the Hazara Express had been operating at a moderate speed of 45 kilometers per hour (about 28 m.p.h.) when it derailed. Local TV networks broadcast images of crowds gathered around the derailed carriages as rescue workers tried to extricate the wounded from the mangled wreckage. Bodies pulled out of the debris were taken to a nearby hospital. Women and children were among those killed or injured.
Residents of nearby villages, including Saleh Soomro a schoolteacher, rushed to the accident site to help injured passengers. Pakistan Killing at Least 30 I can’t find words to describe how heartbreaking the scenes were, Mr. Soomro said. Mr. Soomro said that residents made efforts to transport the injured to hospitals using their own resources and vehicles.
Local workers, the railway authorities and paramilitary troops joined the rescue efforts.
The Pakistani Army, following directives from the army’s chief, Gen. Syed Asim Munir, sent troops to assist the operations, the military said. Officials from the army and rangers were also distributing food to the survivors. Officials said that given the remote location of the accident, relief operations faced challenges getting to the scene quickly.
I thought we only had a few days left and was anxious about a potential accident, he said during a news briefing. Fatal train accidents have occurred with some frequency in Pakistan as the railway system continues to grapple with deteriorating rail carriages and crumbling tracks. And safety standards are dismally lacking, experts say.
Muhammad Shoaib, a passenger on the train, said he felt fortunate to have survived.
I was sleeping when I felt sudden jerks, he said from a hospital. Thank God I am safe, but my heart is heavy with sorrow for the fellow passengers who lost their lives in the accident. At Karachi’s central railway station, worried relatives had gathered, seeking information about their loved ones from railway officials.
