LODHRAN: A passenger was killed and at least two dozen others were injured when four carriages of the Awam Express derailed near Lodhran railway station in the wee hours of Sunday.
Lodhran Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr Lubna Nazir said the injured included four women, three children, and 16 men. Of the 24 injured, 17 were given first aid and discharged, while three passengers remain under treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital but are out of danger.
Earlier, the official had reported 19 people affected; however, the number of injured rose after more passengers were pulled out of the derailed train.
As per initial reports, the injured were rushed to Bahawal Victoria Hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries.
Rescue teams quickly completed evacuation operations, pulling passengers out of the damaged coaches. “The exact cause of the derailment is still under investigation,” Dr Nazir said.
Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Muhammad Hanif Abbasi expressed grief over the death of a passenger and ordered an inquiry into the accident, directing that a report be submitted within seven days. He further instructed authorities to ensure all injured passengers receive complete medical treatment.
Abbasi said no trains were affected on the up track and ordered that the down track be restored at the earliest.
The train was travelling from Peshawar to Karachi when the incident occurred. The minister said train traffic on the up track has been restored, while efforts are under way to fully clear the down track.
Last month, a blast on the railway track near Shikarpur caused three coaches of the Jaffar Express to derail, leaving one passenger injured and disrupting train operations in the area.
The blast’s impact threw multiple coaches off the track, suspending the railway operations on the affected route.
In June, five bogies of the Jaffar Express jumped the rails after a blast hit the track near Jacobabad. The train was en route from Peshawar to Quetta.
The explosion damaged the railway line, disrupting train services in the area; however, no casualties were reported, they added.
