Two trains collide in Pakistan, killing at least 40 passengers

The Millat Express derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it soon afterward in Sindh province

Train accidents are common in Pakistan, where successive governments have paid little attention to improving the signal system and tracks

Reading Time:2 minutes

Soldiers and volunteers work at the site of a train collision in the Ghotki district in southern Pakistan on June 7. Photo: AP

Published: 11:28am, 7 Jun 2021Updated: 10:18pm, 7 Jun 2021

An express train barrelled into another train that had derailed in Pakistan before dawn on Monday, killing at least 40 people, authorities said. More than 100 were injured, and rescuers and villagers worked throughout the day to pull survivors and the dead from the crumpled cars.

Cries for help were heard as passengers climbed out of overturned or crushed railcars, and local people rushed to the scene in the district of Ghotki, in the southern province of Sindh. Later in the day, heavy machinery arrived to cut open some cars, in the hopes of rescuing several people still believed to be trapped. The military deployed troops and helicopters to assist.

At around 3.30am, the Millat Express train derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it minutes later, said Usman Abdullah, a deputy commissioner of Ghotki. It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment, and the driver of the second train said he braked when he saw the disabled train but did not have time to avoid the collision.

“The challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage,” said Umar Tufail, a police chief in the district. The death toll steadily rose through the day, reaching at least 40, according to Abdullah.

Officials said more than 100 passengers were injured, and those with critical injuries would be brought by helicopter to a nearby city’s hospital. According to railway officials, about 1,100 passengers were on board the two trains.

Earlier, Azam Swati, the minister for railways who headed to the scene of the crash, said engineers and experts were trying to determine what caused the collision and that all aspects would be examined, including the possibility of sabotage.

Habibur Rehman Gilani, chairman of Pakistan Railways, told Pakistan’s Geo News TV that the segment of the railway tracks where the crash took place was old and needed replacing. He did not elaborate.

Aijaz Ahmed, the driver of the Sir Syed Express, told the station that on seeing the derailed train, he tried his best to avoid the crash by braking but failed. Railway officials said Ahmed was slightly injured, and villagers pulled him from the train’s engine after the crash.