NAWABSHAH, Pakistan – A tragic train derailment in southern Pakistan has resulted in at least 30 fatalities and 100 injuries, according to a police spokesperson on Sunday, August 6, 2023.
The accident occurred when several carriages of the Hazara Express overturned near the Sahara railway station in Nawabshah, a district situated approximately 275km (171 miles) from Karachi, the country’s largest city.
Emergency rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene to free passengers trapped in the wreckage and transport the wounded to nearby hospitals.
According to local broadcaster Geo, several individuals are still confined within a train carriage.
Pakistan’s aging railway system is notorious for its high incidence of accidents.
Railway Minister Saad Rafiq stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the train was operating at a normal speed at the time of the derailment.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, with authorities trying to ascertain the sequence of events that led to the catastrophic accident.
Reports from a railway spokesperson in Karachi suggest that at least eight carriages derailed during the incident.
Videos shared on social media depict the chaotic scene of the accident, with survivors attempting to extricate themselves from the overturned carriages.
An emergency status has been declared in the primary hospitals in Nawabshah and the neighboring districts of Sindh province, in anticipation of the influx of injured passengers.
The derailment has also led to the suspension of train services to the interior districts of Sindh.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon stated in an interview with BBC News on Sunday, August 6, 2023, that the government’s foremost priority is the ongoing rescue operation.
Historically, the region’s rail system has been plagued by significant accidents.
A collision between two trains in Sindh province in 2021 resulted in at least 40 deaths and many injuries.
Local media sources report that between 2013 and 2019, similar incidents led to the deaths of 150 people.
