MULTAN (Dunya News) - At least four passengers were killed and several others injured after the Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan early Tuesday, with all 15 coaches reportedly coming off the tracks, sources said.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and launched operations to evacuate passengers from the derailed coaches. The injured were transported to Nishtar Hospital in Multan for medical treatment.
A passenger told reporters that the accident occurred at around 5:15am. The train was travelling from Karachi to Peshawar, according to earlier police information.
Rescue officials said 13 coaches had been cleared, while operations were continuing in another coach.
Meanwhile, a passenger claimed that nuts and bolts on coach number nine had been repaired near Rohri before the incident. However, the claim could not be independently verified, and it remained unclear whether the reported repair had any connection to the derailment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the accident and expressed concern over the passengers injured in the incident.
He directed the relevant authorities to accelerate rescue efforts and ensure that the injured received the best possible medical treatment without delay.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been officially determined. Further details regarding the casualties, the condition of the injured and the circumstances surrounding the accident were awaited as rescue operations continued.
The incident has once again brought railway safety and maintenance into focus in Pakistan.
In August 2023, the derailment of the Hazara Express near Nawabshah in Sindh claimed at least 30 lives and left more than 100 people injured, highlighting longstanding concerns over railway safety and infrastructure maintenance.