The cause of the train derailment in Pakistan may be a mechanical failure or sabotage, the country’s Minister of Railways and Aviation, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, said.
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Earlier, police reported that at least 30 people were killed and more than 80 were injured as a result of the derailment of the Hazara Express train cars in the Pakistani province of Sindh. According to preliminary information, from 5 to 10 wagons of the train derailed.
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As a result of the accident, the movement of trains in the province of Sindh was stopped. Railway authorities said restoration work could take up to 18 hours.
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“This is a pretty big accident. There can be two reasons: firstly, it was a mechanical malfunction, or a malfunction was created – it could be sabotage. We will investigate,” Rafik said at a press conference in Lahore.
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The Minister noted that the preliminary investigation showed that the train did not exceed the speed limit before the incident.
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Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed regret over the loss of life in the incident and ordered immediate medical attention to be provided to the victims. Pakistani state television reported that the Pakistani army and rangers launched immediate relief operations at the crash site, and additional forces were called to the crash site. It is also reported that army aviation helicopters were also sent for rescue work.
