In-depth probe into Pakistan train crash as death toll climbs to 30
Investigations are intensifying into the causes behind the disastrous derailment of a passenger train near Sahiwal station in Nawabshah City, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, yesterday. The accident tragically claimed at least 30 lives and left more than 100 people suffering from various injuries. The train involved in the incident was identified as the Hazara Express.
Initial investigations led by Sad Rafik, the Minister for Railways, suggest that the train was moving at the regular speed at the time of the accident. Authorities are now keenly looking into factors that could have led to eight of the train’s carriages derailing so catastrophically. Chargeel Memon, the region’s Minister for Information, said…
“I urge the medical community to extend full-fledged assistance to the victims of this unfortunate incident.”
The severity of the injuries required a state of emergency to be declared in main hospitals across Nawabshah and in some parts of the Sindh province to ensure that all victims receive adequate medical help during this crisis.
Pakistan has a troubling history of fatal train accidents. Much of the blame has been placed on the poor maintenance of the railway system. Just this year, a collision of two trains in the Sindh province led to 40 deaths and scores of injuries. Between the years 2023 and 2030, more than 150 deaths have resulted from train-related accidents.
The anxious relatives of passengers who were on the derailed train have been converging on hospitals across Nawabshah City to identify and claim the bodies of their loved ones. Other passengers, who were fortunate enough to escape the crash with less severe injuries, recount the horrific moments when the train derailed.
As the people of Pakistan come to grips with the enormity of this tragedy, the railroad officials affirmed that their immediate priority is the well-being of the victims and their families. The re-establishment of the rail line, which is currently littered with derailed carriages, will be addressed subsequently.
