Islamabad, Oct 14:
At least six people were killed and around 30 injured after the Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan, in Pakistanâs Punjab province, on Tuesday morning. The train was travelling from Karachi to Peshawar when the accident occurred at around 5.15 am, according to police.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to Nishtar Hospital in Multan for treatment. Rescue officials said all 14 coaches of the passenger train had derailed. Authorities continued rescue operations and worked to assist passengers affected by the accident.
A passenger told reporters that workers had repaired the nuts and bolts of coach number nine near Rohri before the accident. However, the claim had not been independently verified, and it was not immediately clear whether the reported repair was connected to the derailment. The official cause of the accident had not been established.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths and directed the authorities to speed up rescue operations and ensure the injured received the best possible medical care. Railway authorities were expected to provide further details as the investigation progressed.
The accident has renewed concerns over safety and maintenance on Pakistanâs railway network, where serious derailments have occurred in the past. In August 2023, the derailment of the Hazara Express near Nawabshah in Sindh province killed at least 30 people and injured more than 100. The latest incident is likely to bring renewed scrutiny of railway infrastructure, maintenance procedures and passenger safety measures.