Islamabad: At least 31 people were killed while more than 100 were injured on Monday after two passenger trains collided near Dharki, a city located in the Ghotki district of upper Sindh, according to officials.
According to a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways, the accident took place around 4am after a Millat Express train, headed from Karachi to Sargodha, derailed and fell across the “down track”. Due to this, it collided with a Sir Syed Express train coming from Rawalpindi, he said, adding that the incident took place near the Raiti railway station.
“The Millat Express train left Dharki station at 03:28am. Information was received at 03:43am that the train had derailed at 03:38am. Meanwhile, the Sir Syed Express train passed through Raiti at 03:38am. As the coaches of the derailed train were infringing the down track, the driver tried to apply emergency brakes but the locomotive hit the infringing coaches at 03:38am,” a PR statement said.
As a result of this accident, six coaches of Millat Express were derailed and five coaches capsized, while two coaches of the Sir Syed Express train were derailed and three capsized, it added, stating that 31 people had been killed while more than 100 had been injured.
Spokesperson said a relief train had been dispatched from Rohri while officials, along with police and the local administration, were carrying out rescue efforts. He said that helpline centres have been set up for passengers in Karachi, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
According to reports, the incident has paralysed railway traffic across the country.
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Between 15 to 20 passengers are still trapped in the wreckage of the Millat Express train and authorities are trying to arrange heavy machinery to rescue those people who are crying for help, said Ghotki SSP Umar Tufail.
