1 dead as Lahore-bound Shalimar Express derails after colliding with goods train in Naushahro Feroze

KARACHI/LAHORE: At least one person died on Sunday after Lahore-bound Shalimar Express collided with a goods train at Lakha Road Railway Station in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze district on Sunday. There are also reports of injuries, but the exact number is yet to be ascertained. In a statement, Sindh’s Rescue 1122 said a body was recovered from the site, while 13 injured people were rescued and provided with first aid. The rescue service listed the names and ages of the 13 injured, with the wounded aged between 15 and 60 years. Rescue 1122 said its Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Bandhi satellite station had reached the site of the incident soon after receiving the alert. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also confirmed to Dawn that a person had lost their life in the incident, saying that he was a temporary employee of the Pakistan Railways (PR) and that he was aboard the goods train and not Shalimar Express. He, however, claimed that none of the passengers aboard Shalimar Express were either killed or injured in the accident. On the other hand, Naushahro Feroze Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mir Rohal Khoso said at least four to five people had been injured. He also confirmed that the one person who died in the incident was travelling in the goods train. Sources earlier told Dawn that as Shalimar Express approached Lakha Road Station, the interlocking system was set such that the train veered toward a loop line, where a goods train was parked. Subsequently, the driver immediately applied the brakes, but the train eventually collided with the parked train, they said. As a result, the passenger train’s locomotive and several coaches were derailed and capsized. This was later also confirmed by SSP Khoso. Shalimar Express’s driver, Haji Fayyaz, also told Dawn that “our kanta (interlocking /signalling system) was set for the loop line, whereas we had to pass the station without stopping”. “The brake also did not work properly, and the signal was also red,” he said. According to sources, traffic on the main line was disrupted due to the collision, and a relief train was dispatched to the accident site for the removal of the damaged locomotive, coaches and wagons. Inquiry ordered Minister Abbasi confirmed to Dawn that an inquiry had been ordered into the incident and that it would be conducted by the federal government officer of railways, who is a grade-20 officer. PR Chief Executive Officer Amir Ali Baloch said while speaking to Dawn that he believed the driver’s negligence caused the accident. The CEO said that if one of the two signals was red, it meant that the driver was supposed to stop. “And if the interlocking system was set for the loop line, the driver should have understood that he was supposed to stop,” he added. But, he continued, anything could only be said with certainty after the inquiry. But, according to SSP Khoso, preliminary information suggests that the collision occurred due to “a technical fault on the part of the railway department”. He said police pickets had been established around the site of the incident to maintain law and order. “Close liaison is also being maintained with the Railway Police and railway officials. Maintenance work has been completed, the tracks have been cleared, and train operations have been restored,” he added.