BAHAWALPUR – Death toll of Akbar Express train accident has risen to 24 after a severely injured woman succumbed to her injuries at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahimyar Khan while rescuers found bodies of a child and a man which were retrieved from the train wreckage on the railway track in Walhar.
The Commissioner Bahawalpur Office confirmed that death toll of Akbar Express train accident had risen to 24 as some more injured succumbed to their wounds at a hospital. Commissioner Bahawalpur division, Nayyar Iqbal along with Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bahawalpur range, Imran Mahmood visited the accident place at Walhar railway station and inquired after the health of injured at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahimyar Khan.
An official press release issued here said that around 100 injured of train accident were brought at Sheikh Zayed Hospital including 65 men, 20 women and 15 children. It said that 55 injured were discharged from Sheikh Zayed Hospital after provision of medical aid. Some of injured who were in very serious condition succumbed to their injuries.
The cranes and other machinery used in the rescue operation have removed wreckage of damaged locomotive of Akbar Express train from the railway track and track was completely cleared for routine railway traffic.
A spokesman of Pakistan Railways said that negligence of change of signal was the cause of accident of Akbar Express train from main to loop line track where already a cargo train loaded with stationery was parked. He, however, said that inquiry into the incident was underway.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner Bahawalpur, Nayyar Iqbal said that all available health facilities were being provided with to the injured of the train accident at Sheikh Zayed Hospital.
