At least five people were killed and more than 30 injured when the Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Railway Station in Multan on Tuesday, a Pakistan Railways spokesperson told Dawn. Earlier on Tuesday, Rescue 1122 official Muhammad Arshad told Dawn that 49 people had been injured and that the rescue was still under way.
Sources said all 15 carriages had left the line, close to the Sher Shah Bridge. An early note from police said the service had started in Karachi and was headed to Peshawar. Someone travelling on it told reporters the moment was about 5:15am.
Rescue and the hospital
Help reached the site not long after the carriages tipped off the line, and crews started freeing people still inside. The hurt were moved to Multan's Nishtar Hospital. Staff running the rescue said thirteen carriages had already been dealt with, while crews were still inside a further one.
Word on how serious the injuries were, and on the exact circumstances of the deaths, was still pending as that work went on. Officials have not stated why the train left the rails. Pakistan Railways, along with other departments, is expected to add detail once the clearance advances.
A passenger's repair account
A person on the train said the ninth coach had its nuts and bolts serviced in the Rohri area before the Multan crash. That account has not been confirmed independently, and it is unclear whether any earlier workshop visit played a part in the crash. Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, registered the crash and voiced worry for passengers who were hurt. He told the offices concerned to quicken the rescue and to see that care for the injured started promptly.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has gone to the site. A railways statement said compensation would follow the department's insurance policy, and that the inspector of railways would investigate. The same statement said trains via Lodhran and Jahanian were running again, that help desks were open at major stations, and that a replacement train carrying more than 500 passengers had left Sher Shah. Driver Rizwan Abbas told Dawn the train was travelling at 100 kilometres an hour, the signal was clear, and he felt a sudden push as he passed the station. He said the locomotive was in working order. No official cause has been given. The Rohri workshop claim is still unverified.
The same morning's crash sits against an older warning about Pakistan's rail upkeep. During August 2023, the Hazara Express came off the line in the Nawabshah area of Sindh. A minimum of 30 people died there, and over 100 people were hurt.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- August 2023: Near Nawabshah, Sindh, the Hazara Express came off the line. Deaths were put at a minimum of 30, with over 100 people hurt.
- Tuesday, about 5:15am: A passenger timed the Rehman Baba Express leaving the rails beside Multan's Sher Shah Bridge, on a run that police said began in Karachi and ended in Peshawar.
- Tuesday morning: Pakistan Railways told Dawn at least five people were killed and more than 30 injured. Earlier, Rescue 1122 had said 49 were injured. Hanif Abbasi went to the site, and a replacement train left Sher Shah.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Multan ke Sher Shah station ke paas Rehman Baba Express patri se utar gayi. Pakistan Railways ne Dawn ko bataya ke kam az kam paanch log jaan se gaye aur 30 se zyada zakhmi hain. Is se pehle Rescue 1122 ke Muhammad Arshad ne 49 zakhmi bataye thay. Wajah abhi rasmi tor par nahi aayi.
