Up to 10 bogies of the Havelian-bound Hazara Express derailed on Sunday in Sindh's Nawabshah district, around 275 kilometers from Karachi, resulting in at least 25 fatalities and over 80 injuries.
According to Commissioner of Benazirabad Division Abbas Baloch, at least 25 people lost their lives in the tragedy, and there are still passengers trapped in a bogie.
He said that an emergency has been imposed at the district's hospitals and that a rescue train is on its way.
Successive governments have been attempting to get funding for years in order to update Pakistan's ageing rail system as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative for infrastructure projects. Accidents on Pakistan's ageing rail system are frequent.
Benazirabad deputy inspector general of police, Younis Chandio, said that the injured and the dead had been removed from nine out of ten damaged bogies.
He said that heavy machinery is required in order to clear the remaining bogies. The cause of the train disaster is still a mystery, he added.
The injured passengers have been transferred to the People's Medical Hospital in Nawabshah, which is said to have room for some 1,000 patients.
Following the train accident, train service to and from Sindh's interior areas was discontinued, disrupting thousands of people's daily lives. Railway authorities estimated that it may take up to 18 hours to resume service.
The unfortunate train is reportedly carrying a significant number of people, even more than its capacity, which has led authorities to dread heavy material and life losses.
While addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the accident may have been "deliberately" perpetrated by someone or may have been the result of a mechanical issue. "We'll offer relief first, and then we'll look into it," he added.
The Sindh Chief Minister is on his way there, and an emergency has been declared In Sukkur hospitals, the federal minister said.
After receiving special instructions from Army Chief General Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army also joined the rescue efforts at the accident scene.
According to Commissioner of Benazirabad Division Abbas Baloch, at least 25 people lost their lives in the tragedy, and there are still passengers trapped in a bogie.
He said that an emergency has been imposed at the district's hospitals and that a rescue train is on its way.
Successive governments have been attempting to get funding for years in order to update Pakistan's ageing rail system as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative for infrastructure projects. Accidents on Pakistan's ageing rail system are frequent.
Benazirabad deputy inspector general of police, Younis Chandio, said that the injured and the dead had been removed from nine out of ten damaged bogies.
He said that heavy machinery is required in order to clear the remaining bogies. The cause of the train disaster is still a mystery, he added.
The injured passengers have been transferred to the People's Medical Hospital in Nawabshah, which is said to have room for some 1,000 patients.
Following the train accident, train service to and from Sindh's interior areas was discontinued, disrupting thousands of people's daily lives. Railway authorities estimated that it may take up to 18 hours to resume service.
The unfortunate train is reportedly carrying a significant number of people, even more than its capacity, which has led authorities to dread heavy material and life losses.
While addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the accident may have been "deliberately" perpetrated by someone or may have been the result of a mechanical issue. "We'll offer relief first, and then we'll look into it," he added.
The Sindh Chief Minister is on his way there, and an emergency has been declared In Sukkur hospitals, the federal minister said.
After receiving special instructions from Army Chief General Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army also joined the rescue efforts at the accident scene.