34 die as Hazara Express derails in Sindh

SUKKUR: At least 34 passengers died and more than 100 were injured as 10 bogies of Havelian-bound Hazara Express derailed at Dadwah, 1.5 kilometres off Serhari Railway Station of Taluka Shahdadpur in District Sanghar.

Sarhari police and the volunteers reached the spot, while more than 27 dead bodies were shifted to the hospitals by the local residents during rescue operations.

Railway management of Karachi said that there were more than 1,000 passengers aboard the train.

According to the Railway administration, there were women and children in large numbers among the passengers on board the train while most of the passengers were taking tickets for Lahore and other cities.

According to the management, the crew of the Kotri, Sukkur and Karachi Relief Rail Service has been dispatched to the accident site however, they reached after three hours.

According to the Railway administration, the reason of derailment initially could not be ascertained as yet, however, it could be investigated after the completion of the rescue.

SSP Nawabshah, SSP Sanghar and SSP Matyari, Pakistan Army personnel, Rangers and 1122 rescue teams reached the spot for rescue operation.

The bodies and the injured were shifted to People’s Medical College University Hospital Nawabshah, Basic Health Unit Serhari and SIMS Hospital Shahdadpur. Army, Rangers joined police in rescue operation. A large number of cops from the Police Training Center are also present for the relief work.

Additional troops were also called in from Hyderabad and Sakrand along with Army Aviation helicopters. The military personnel will reach the site with edibles for the rescued passengers.

Commissioner Benazirabad Division Abbas Baloch said that at least 30 people died in the incident while passengers are still stranded in a bogie No 9.

He said a relief train is also about to arrive and emergency has been imposed in hospitals of the district.

Benazirabad Deputy Inspector General of Police Younis Chandio said that nine out of 10 wrecked bogies had been removed from the track.

He said that heavy machinery is required to remove the remaining bogie.

The reason behind the train derailment remains unknown.

People on the site and local authorities have shifted the wounded passengers to the People’s Medical Hospital in Nawabshah.

The train operations to and from the interior districts of Sindh were suspended and Railway authorities said that it might take up to 18 hours to restore operations.

The train, comprising 17 bogies with a capacity of 950 passengers in its economy class and 72 in its air-conditioned standard coach, went off track on its way to Havelian from Karachi in district Sanghar, the Senior Superintendent of police said.

He said that 10 Station House Officers (SHO), four District Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and more than 100 police personnel are participating in the rescue operation.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah reached the spot where he supervised the rescue and relief activities.

He later moved to Nawabshah where he visited People’s Medical Hospital and inquired after the injured and took information about the facilities.

Talking to media, he said that it is very regrettable that precious human lives were lost in the train accident.

He added that the Sindh government immediately started rescue and relief work at the scene while the injured are being shifted to nearby hospitals and treatment facilities are being provided.

Sindh chief minister further said that the district administration has been directed to contact the families of the injured while the list of deceased persons is being issued immediately and those who are missing should be identified immediately.

He further said that the Federal Minister for Railways had also been contacted and he had assured that the railway rescue vehicles will reach the spot soon.

He added that emergency has been imposed in Shaheed Benazirabad, while the administration has also been alerted.

Arriving at the site of the incident and reviewing the rescue and relief activities, Divisional Commissioner Shaheed Benazirabad Muhammad Abbas Baloch briefed him about the incident and rescue activities.

DIG Police Muhammad Younus Chandio, Deputy Commissioner Shaheed Benazirabad Shahryar Gul Memon, Deputy Commissioner Sanghar Muhammad Ishaq Gaad and other officers were present on this occasion.

Residents of Serhari and nearby villages reached the spot and provided food, drinking water and other necessary things to the victims of train accident.

After the accident, up and down tracks were closed and trains were stopped at various railway stations.

Rehman Baba Express was stopped at Adero Lal Station, Pakistan Express, Allama Iqbal Express and Karakoram Express were also stopped at various railway stations.

After the tragedy, DS Railways Sukkur Mahmudur Rehman has said that the rescue train has been moved for relief work, while the up track has been closed.

He said that the investigation of the accident has been started, but the cause of the accident is not known at present. If negligence is proved, action will be taken against the responsible.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique raised suspicions of sabotage as the potential cause behind the train accident in Nawabshah.

It was either a mechanical fault, he said on the possible causes.

Speaking to media in Lahore, the minister said that reports suggested that the train was travelling at a reasonable speed. He said that officials had reached the scene and an emergency had been imposed in hospitals in Sukkur and Nawabshah.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in an accident of Hazara Express in Nawabshah.

He prayed for the departed souls and ordered the administration to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured. He sought a report from the railway authorities about the accident.

He praised the efforts of personnel of Pakistan Railways, Rescue and Pakistan Army for their timely help.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman expressed her heartfelt condolences over the Hazara Express accident.

In a statement issued here, the federal minister said she was deeply saddened to hear about the accident of the Hazara Express from Karachi to Rawalpindi.

She also expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the recovery of the injured.

“May Allah grant patience and grace to the bereaved, Amen,” Sherry Rehman prayed. The minister demanded that an inquiry should be made to find out the causes of the accident.