At least 30 killed, 90 injured in Pakistan train crash
A train derailment in southern Pakistan on Sunday left 30 people dead and over 90 others injured, according to local officials.
Ten cars of a Hazara Express train headed to the city of Rawalpindi derailed off the tracks near the Sarhari railway station off the town of Nawabshah in Pakistan, senior railway officer Mahmoodur Rehman Lakho told the Associated Press. He said some cars also were overturned during the derailment.
Videos from local television documented the rescues of women, children and elderly passengers who were trapped in the damaged and overturned cars. Locals were seen distributing food and water, according to AP.
The injured were taken to nearby People’s Hospital in Nawabshah, Lakho said.
Train traffic was suspended on the main railway while repair trains were called to the accident, said senior railway officer Mohsin Sayal. Sayal told AP alternative travel plans and medical care would be made available to the train’s passengers.
Abid Baloch, another senior railway officer, later said from the scene that rescue efforts were completed after dozens of those wounded were taken to safety and crews cleared the last flipped car.
Pakistan Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said Sunday morning rescue efforts were assisted by the Pakistan Army, the Sindh Rangers – a parliamentary federal law enforcement corps in Pakistan – and the provincial government.
He told AP a mechanical fault or the result of sabotage may have caused the crash, but investigation remains underway.
“The exact cause of the accident is being investigated, despite the fact that the track is technically fit of travel. It is too early to say anything before the investigation into the accident,” Rafique wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he was “deeply saddened,” to learn about the accident, adding he asked railway authorities for a report on the accident.
“May Allah forgive the deceased passengers and grant patience to their families,” Sharif wrote on X.
“I pay tribute to the Pakistan Railways, Rescue and Pakistan Army personnel for their efforts ot help the people,” he continued.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.