At least 15 killed, dozens injured as train derails in Pakistan's Nawabshah

Photo/Internet

At least 15 people were killed while 40 others were injured after several bogies of the Hazara Express derailed near the Sarhari Railway Station in Nawabshah on Sunday, Dawn newspaper reported.

The train was headed to Rawalpindi from Karachi. Rescue teams and police officials were dispatched to the site of the incident.

Footage aired on TV showed a large number of passengers gathered near the derailed bogies, some of which were laying on their side.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique said that authorities had been alerted to the incident. He said that reports suggested that 15 people had died and several were injured.

Rafique said that the train was travelling at a reasonable speed, which initial investigations showed. He said that officials had reached the scene and an emergency had been imposed in hospitals in Sukkur and Nawabshah.

Pakistan Railways Sukkur Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) Mohsin Siyal said that an unknown number of bogies had derailed. The official did not confirm any casualties.

Also read: Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan's party accuses authorities of denying access to him

"I am on my way to the site of accident," Siyal told Dawn.com over phone. He said that the incident occurred at the outer signal of the Sarhari Railway Station.

"Some people are reporting that five bogies had derailed, some are saying eight have derailed and some are saying 10 have derailed," he said.

Shaheed Benzirabad Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Muhammad Younis Chandio termed the incident a "big accident". However, the official refrained from conforming the number of casualties.

"Rescue teams are needed to launch relief and rescue operations," he said. The official said his team and the commissioner were headed to the site of the incident.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident. In a statement, he directed the Nawabshah deputy commissioner to provide the injured with immediate medical assistance. (Agencies)