SANGHAR: The Railway Department will today (Monday) inspect the derailment site of Hazara Express at Nawabshah in Sanghar district to gather evidence to investigate the horrific train accident that killed over 30 people and injured 130.
Pakistan witnessed another tragic train accident on Sunday when 10 coaches of Hazara Express bound for Havelian derailed near Sahara railway station in Sindh’s Nawabshah district, 275 km from Karachi.
Train operations on the affected uptrack are still suspended after the accident. However, about 18 hours after the accident, the down track was restored and the trains that faced delays at various stations started departing.
Railway officials say that it will take several more hours to restore the affected track.
The derailed bogies of Hazara Express have been removed from the track while the repair work is in progress.
Federal Government Railway Inspector Ali Muhammad Afridi said that the up track will be completely restored in four to five hours.
While talking to the media in Sanghar, the official said that the site was to be inspected today while the inquiry would be started in four to five days after recording the statements of the concerned persons.
Afridi said that the train accident affected 300 to 400 km of track which is being repaired.
He added that the track, coaches and engines are being checked and the visible marks on the affected tracks are nut bolts and wheel flanges.
Meanwhile, the administration of People’s Medical Hospital Nawab Shah says that more than 120 injured have been shifted to the hospital and most of them have been discharged after treatment.
It said that 30 people are currently under treatment.
A total of 29 bodies were claimed and taken away by the heirs while the bodies of two deceased women – who have not been identified – are still in hospital.
Horrifying images of overturned coaches were seen on the railway tracks, with people and bodies trapped under the wrecked train on Sunday.
The local people of Sanghar and Nawabshah set an excellent example by starting the rescue work before the police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted a large number of injured to medical facilities immediately.
The cause of the accident is not yet known. However, the authorities say that the matter will be fully investigated.
