ISLAMABAD: Railway department will conduct an inspection of the site of the Hazara Express derailment in district Sanghar’s Nawabshah (today) to gather evidence for investigations into the deadly train crash that killed over 30 people and injured 130.
On Sunday, Pakistan witnessed another tragic train accident when 10 bogies of Havelian-bound Hazara Express derailed near Sahara Railway Station in Sindh’s Nawabshah district, approximately 275 kilometers away from Karachi.
The train operations on the affected up-track remained suspended on Monday. However, the down-track was restored nearly 18 hours after the accident, leading to the departure of trains.
Railway authorities state that it will take several more hours to restore the affected track. The derailed bogies of the tragedy-struck Hazara Express have been removed from the track while repair works are underway.
Railways Inspector Ali Mohammad Afridi’s view regarding Hazara Tragedy
Railways Inspector Ali Mohammad Afridi mentions that the up-track will be completely restored in four to five hours. He said to the media in Sanghar that a site inspection is due today, while the inquiry will be initiated in four to five days after recording the statements of the related individuals.
Ali Mohammad Afridi explained that the train crash affected 300-400 kilometers of track, which is currently under repair. The track, coaches, and locomotives are being examined, and the marks seen on the affected tracks are of the nut bolts and wheel flanges.
Meanwhile, the administration of the Peoples Medical Hospital, Nawabshah, reported that over 120 injured individuals had been shifted to the facility, and most of them have been discharged after treatment. Currently, 30 people are undergoing treatment.
Out of the total of 29 bodies, the heirs claimed and took them, while the bodies of two deceased women, who could not be identified, are still at the hospital.
The railway tracks saw horrific images of overturned bogies, with people and bodies stuck under the wrecked train on Sunday. The locals of Sanghar and Nawabshah set a great example by initiating the rescue work before the police and rescue teams could reach the site, immediately shifting a large number of wounded people to medical facilities.
The cause of the accident still remains unknown. However, the authorities have announced that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter.
