Lahore, Oct 13: A Peshawar-bound passenger train derailed in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Tuesday, killing at least six people and injuring 40 others, police said.
The accident occurred at around 5:15 am when the train was travelling from Karachi to Peshawar, according to police information.
The Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan.
Pakistan Railways spokesperson Babar Ali said that some 500 passengers were aboard the train.
Quoting the statement of the train driver, he said the train was passing through the Sher Shah station, Multan, when he suddenly felt a push, after which he applied the brakes.
“When the train stopped, some 14 coaches derailed,” the driver said.
The spokesperson said the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, while rescue teams launched an operation to evacuate passengers from the derailed coaches.
“One passenger was reported to be trapped inside a coach as rescue workers struggled to reach him,” he said.
Six people were killed, and over 40 have been injured in the accident, police said, adding that all 14 coaches of the express derailed near the bridge.
A relief train and a medical van were dispatched from Multan to the accident site to assist in rescue and relief operations.
Train traffic on both the up and down tracks was suspended following the accident, disrupting rail services on the route.
Multan Commissioner Amir Karim Khan visited the site and met affected passengers and their families, assuring them of all possible assistance.
He directed the relevant authorities to arrange temporary accommodation, transport and breakfast for stranded passengers.
A passenger told reporters that workers had repaired the nuts and bolts of coach number nine near Rohri before the accident.
The claim has not been independently verified, and it was not immediately clear whether the reported repair was linked to the derailment, the Geo report added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and urged authorities to provide the best medical care to those injured in the accident.
He directed the relevant authorities to speed up rescue operations and ensure the injured received the best possible medical treatment without delay.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been officially established. Pakistan Railways and relevant authorities are expected to provide further details as rescue operations progress.
Accidents on Pakistan’s decaying rail system are common.
In August 2023, the derailment of the Hazara Express near Nawabshah in Sindh killed at least 30 people and injured more than 100, raising renewed concerns about railway safety and maintenance. (PTI)
