At least 45 people have been killed after two express trains collided in southern Pakistan.
Rescuers and villagers have been working to pull injured people and bodies from the wreckage, and as many as 20 passengers are feared to be trapped.
Railway officials said about 1,100 people were on board the two trains when they crashed before dawn on Monday in Ghotki, a district in Sindh province.
Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead. Have asked Railway Minister to reach site & ensure medical assistance to injured & support for families of the dead. Ordering comprehensive investigation into railway safety faultlines
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 7, 2021
The Millat Express train derailed, with the Sir Syed Express hitting it soon afterwards, they said.
More than 100 were injured, as rescuers and villagers worked throughout Monday to search for survivors and the dead.
Heavy machinery arrived to cut open some cars, and more than 15 hours after the crash, rescuers were carefully removing wreckage as they looked for anyone who might remain trapped, though hopes were fading for survivors
“Right now the challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage,” deputy commissioner Usman Abdullah added.
Reports on Pakistani television have suggested that heavy machinery to help with the rescue effort took about four hours to arrive.
Dozens of others are feared to have been injured, some in a critical condition, with ambulances arriving at the scene to take them to hospital.
Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted his condolences to those who had lost loved ones.
Image:
Rescuers and villagers work to pull people from the wreckage. Pic: AP
“Have asked Railway Minister to reach site & ensure medical assistance to injured & support for families of the dead,” he wrote, adding that he is ordering a “comprehensive investigation” into railway safety fault lines.
Authorities said soldiers were being sent to help rescue passengers.
The driver of the Sir Syed Express train survived the crash and told Pakistani TV that when he saw the derailed cars he tried to avoid hitting them, but it was too late.
Image:
One train derailed, causing the other to crash into it. Pic: AP
Train accidents are common in the country owing to a poorly maintained signal system and ageing tracks.
In July 2020, 20 people died after a train crashed into a bus carrying Sikh pilgrims, who were returning home from Peshawar.
And in November 2019, a train caught on fire as it travelled through eastern Punjab province near the town of Liaquatput, killing 74 people
But the country’s worst rail disaster was in 1990 when a packed passenger train ploughed into a standing freight train in southern Pakistan – killing 120 people.
