36 killed in Pakistan train collision

Islamabad: At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 others injured after two passenger trains collided on Monday in Pakistan's Sindh province, authorities said.

A Sir Syed Express Train, which was en route from Lahore to Karachi, collded head on with the Sargodha-bound Millat Express train near Dharki city in Ghotki district.

Divisional Transport Officer of Pakistan Railways in Sukkur division, Sajjad Wagho told Xinhua news agency that the Millat Express was standing still at the railway track after its some compartments were derailed due to a fault at the track, but the message of the track occupation could not reach the approaching the Sir Syed Express which finally hit it.

District Police Officer Umar Tufail told the media that five coaches of the Sir Syed Express also derailed and turned turtle after the collision.

Speaking to Geo News, Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah said that 13 to 14 coaches had derailed in the incident while six to eight were "completely destroyed".

Local media quoting hospital official said that the death toll might increase further as several of the injured people were in critical condition.

A passenger who was traveling in one of the trains told the media that some people were still trapped in the mangled compartments.

Locals and rescue teams rushed to the site, pulled out the bodies and injured and shifted them to nearby hospitals.

The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force, have also rushed to the site with their engineering machinery and were cutting the derailed compartments to search for bodies and the injured.

Wagho said a relief train has also reached the nearby station to shift the injured people to hospitals and help other unhurt passengers to go to another railway station to continue their journey.

A state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been imposed in hospitals in the district.