Four killed, several injured as Rehman Baba Express derails near Multan

At least four passengers were killed and several more injured in the derailment of the Rehman Baba Express near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan early Tuesday, sources said. All the 15 carriages of the train allegedly came off the tracks.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot and started operations to remove passengers from the derailed coaches. The injured were shifted to Nishtar Hospital Multan for medical care.

The accident happened at about 5:15am, a passenger informed reporters. Earlier police reports said the train was heading from Karachi to Peshawar.

Rescue officials said 13 coaches had been cleared while work was under way in one more coach.

Meanwhile, a passenger said that nuts and bolts of coach number nine were repaired at Rohri before the tragedy. The assertion could not be independently verified and it was not apparent whether the stated repair had any link to the derailment.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the tragedy and expressed worry over the passengers wounded in the incident.

He urged the concerned authorities to expedite the rescue operations and ensure that the injured were provided with the best possible medical treatment at the earliest.

The cause of the derailment has not yet been determined officially. Rescue operations were continuing and further details were needed on the casualties, the condition of the injured and the circumstances of the accident.

The event has once again brought attention to railway safety and maintenance in Pakistan.

The Hazara Express derailed in Nawabshah in Sindh in August 2023, killing at least 30 passengers and injuring over 100 others, raising long-standing worries over railway safety and infrastructure maintenance.