Train collision claims lives of over 28 individuals in Pakistan’s Sindh province

In a tragic incident, a train crash in southern Pakistan on Sunday resulted in the death of at least 30 people and left over 80 injured. The safety of trains in Pakistan has become a growing concern following a series of similar accidents in recent times.

Faiz Muhammad Mari, a regional health official, stated that the death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of injuries.

The cause of the crash remains unclear. Pakistan’s railway minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, mentioned that the Hazara Express train was traveling at a relatively slow speed of 28 mph when it collided near Nawabshah city in Sindh, Pakistan’s second-most populous province. Rafique added that an investigation is currently underway to determine if there was a technical fault or an act of sabotage.

Reports indicate that several children were among the injured, and images from the scene show overturned and severely damaged passenger cars. Rescue teams utilized heavy machinery to reach sections of the train that suffered extensive destruction.

Pakistan’s aging railway network has been plagued by a lack of funding, leading to concerns about inadequate safety checks. This has contributed to several major railway accidents in the past.

Two years ago, a collision between two trains in the same province claimed the lives of 65 individuals. In 2019, a gas explosion and fire on a train in Punjab province resulted in the deaths of more than 70 people.

Noack reported from Paris. Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.