KARACHI – At least twenty-two people were killed and more than 45 injured when two passenger trains collided Thursday morning near Karachi’s Landi Railway Station.
According to media reports, the collision occurred between Zakaria Express and Fareed Express. At least three carriages from the trains overturned due to the collision.
Fareed Express was coming to Karachi from Lahore, while Zakaria Express had set off from Multan. The government has announced Rs 1,000,000 as compensation for the dead and Rs 500,000 for the injured.
Rescue services arrived at the site and pulled out trapped passengers after cutting through the mangled wreckage.
The injured were transferred to Jinnah Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Civil Hospital, where emergency has been declared.
At least twenty injured have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital, informed head of emergency at JPMC, according to Dr.Seemi Jamali.
The train operation had come to a complete halt after the accident.Initial reports suggest that the accident took place due to wrong signal. Meanwhile, the Prime minister has ordered inquiry into the incident.
Railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique while talking to media said that the accident took place due to negligence of driver and assistant driver adding that the assistant driver was still missing. It is believed that the incident happened when Zakaria Express driver crossed two red signals and rammed the train into Fareed Express
Commissioner Karachi Ijaz Ahmed  said that the rescue operation has been completed. He expressed that railway tracks would be repaired  by the Pak Railways administration.
He claimed that there was no delay in rescue operation.
More info to follow…
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