On Sunday, a passenger train collided with a goods train parked on the main railway line in Pakistan’s Punjab province, injuring at least 31 persons.
The mishap occurred at the Qila Sattar Shah Station in the Sheikhupura area.
The incident occurred because the Lahore-bound passenger train was moving on the same track as a goods train that was already halted.
According to the report, the train driver sought to prevent the collision but was unable.
The collision injured 31 passengers, according to rescue personnel. They also stated five injured passengers had been sent to the district headquarters hospital.
“An inquiry into the collision has been initiated”, said the railway officials.
“Following the collision, train operations in the Lahore division are functioning well”, a railways spokesperson stated in a statement.
“The track was cleared after the accident”, the spokesperson continued.
“Four railways personnel, including train driver Imran Sarwar and his aide Muhammad Bilal, have been suspended”, the spokesperson added.
According to the spokesperson, an inquiry commission chaired by a deputy principal officer has been constituted, and it will provide its report on the occurrence within 24 hours.
The chairman of the railways has stated that individuals responsible for the event will face legal consequences.
Shahid Aziz, CEO of Railways, stated no compromises will be made on passengers’ safety.
Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences and urged that those responsible for the tragedy be held accountable.
Accidents are regular on Pakistan’s aging rail system. Several deadly railway accidents have occurred in the country over the last decade.
In August of this year, at least 56 people were killed and a dozen others were injured when 10 bogies of Havelian-bound Hazara Express derailed near Sahara Railway Station in Sindh’s Nawabshah district, 275 kilometres away from Karachi.
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