At least 40 killed, 100 injured as passenger trains collide in Sindh's Ghotki district

GHOTKI, JUN 7: At least 40 people were killed while approximately 100 others were injured on Monday after two passenger trains collided near Daharki, a city located in the Ghotki district of upper Sindh, according to officials.

According to a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways (PR), the accident took place around 03:30am after a Millat Express train — headed from Karachi to Sargodha — derailed and fell across the "down track". Due to this, it collided with a Sir Syed Express train coming from Rawalpindi, he said, adding that the incident took place near the Raiti railway station.

"The Millat Express train left Daharki station at 03:28am. Information was received at 03:43am that the train had derailed at 03:38am. Meanwhile, the Sir Syed Express train passed through Raiti at 03:38am. As the coaches of the derailed train were infringing the down track, the driver tried to apply emergency brakes but the locomotive hit the infringing coaches at 03:38am," a PR statement said.

As a result of this accident, six coaches of Millat Express were derailed and five coaches overturned, while two coaches of the Sir Syed Express train were derailed and three overturned, it added, stating that 31 people had been killed while more than 100 had been injured.

The PR spokesperson said a relief train had been dispatched from Rohri while officials, along with police and the local administration, were carrying out rescue efforts. He said that helpline centres have been set up for passengers in Karachi, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

He further said that some of the passengers from the Sir Syed Express train have been taken to the Sadiqabad railway station. "Railway traffic would be restored when tracks are cleared," he added.

In a statement, the Pakistan Railways Directorate confirmed the number of deaths and injuries, adding that a relief train from Sukkur had reached the site. "Pakistan Army troops, police, the district administration and rescue workers took part in the rescue operation," the statement said.

The process of shifting the injured and the deceased to hospitals has been completed, it said, adding that giving medical attention to the injured was of the utmost priority.

Restoring railway traffic is also a priority, it said, adding that officials had reached the scene to investigate the incident. "Federal Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati will personally oversee the completion of an initial inquiry," it said.

According to reports, the incident has paralysed railway traffic across the country. An information desk has been set up at the Hyderabad railway station for passengers. Railway traffic remains suspended till 2pm on both up and down country tracks.

Earlier, Ghotki SSP Umar Tufail said between 15 to 20 passengers were still trapped in the wreckage of the Millat Express train and authorities are trying to arrange heavy machinery to rescue those people who are crying for help, .

He said that the death toll is likely to rise as one of the bogies is still stuck in the wreckage. "The Pakistan Railways relief train has not yet reached the spot from Rohri," he said. He feared once this bogie is cleared the number of dead could rise as it is the main bogie in the entire train, adding that 31 bodies had been retrieved from the wreckage.

Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah said at least 30 people had been killed while 50 others had been injured in the incident. However, officials were facing difficulty in rescuing citizens as the bogies had overturned, he said, adding that the death toll could increase.

Speaking to Geo News, the deputy commissioner said that 13 to 14 bogies had derailed in the incident while six to eight were "completely destroyed". He said that citizens that were still trapped were a "challenge" for rescue officials.

He said that a relief train had departed from Rohri, adding that the local administration and rescue teams were present on the site of the accident. However, the official refused to give a timeframe for the rescue operation.

"This is a challenging task. It will take time to use heavy machinery to free citizens [still trapped]," he said. He said that an emergency had been declared in the district and all doctors and paramedical staff had been put on call.

"We are also establishing a medical camp to provide medical aid to citizens," he said.

'Horrific accident'

Speaking to Dawn.com, an official from chief controller in Karachi said: "It's a tragedy. We can't do anything. The time difference between the departures of the two trains is hardly 10 minutes or so."

The spot where the tragedy occurred is around 6km to 7km short of Punjab province inside Sindh region.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and expressed grief over the lives lost. Speaking to the Sukkur Commissioner over the phone, he directed him to mobilise the district administration. "Machinery should be arranged to rescue passengers that are still stuck," he said.

Arrangements should also be made at nearby hospitals to treat those that have been injured, he said. He also directed the official to arrange temporary accommodation and food for the passengers. "An information system should be set up so that citizens can get accurate information," he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "shocked by the horrific train accident".

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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