In a tragic turn of event, at least eight carriages of the Hazara Express overturned near Sahara railway station in Nawabshah. So far, 30 people have lost their lives, leaving 100 wounded. As the rescue teams are trying their best to rescue people from the wreckage, injured passengers are being moved to the nearby hospitals.
Footages of passengers climbing out of the overturned carriages, women and children lying on the ground have started resurfacing on social media owing to the incident.
One eye witness said, “They were shouting and screaming. I didn’t know what to do. I filled my hands with water from this canal nearby and poured it on the faces of those who were unconscious, hoping they would regain consciousness.”
The Railway Minister Saad Rafiq informed that the initial investigation has revealed the train was traveling at normal speed. He added,” It could be the result of a mechanical fault or sabotage”. But the reasons for the derailment is still unknown. The authorities, however, denied the rumour that the tracks were flooded.
Military, paramilitary troops and rescue workers worked till Sunday evening and rescued trapped passengers. Seriously injured passengers were also transported to better-equipped hospitals in military helicopters.
Unlike India, rail crashes and incidents are not uncommon in Pakistan. Between 2013 to 2019, around 150 people died in rail crashes. In 2021, two trains collided in Sindh killing at least 40 and injuring dozens.