At least 29 people were injured when the Islamabad Express passenger train derailed near Kala Shah Kaku in the Sheikhupura district of Punjab on Friday, with rescue services completing its search operation.
According to Punjab Rescue 1122, five Bogies of the train were derailed near a chemical plant in the Kala Shah Kaku area, and the control room received reports around 7:32 pm.
Later, the rescue service said that 22 people received first aid at the incident scene, while seven were transported to the Tehsil headquarters in Muridke to receive treatment.
“Two people were trapped in the Bogies, but they have been rescued and transferred to the hospital,” said the statement. “One of them suffered hip wounds.
“The initial rescue operation has been completed and there is still no information about anyone in the accident,” he added.
A previous statement citing the rescue spokesman for Punjab Farooq Ahmed said: “Six emergency vehicles and 25 rescuers were sent immediately to start the rescue operation. Most passengers suffered scratches, bruises and skin lesions.”
On July 28, three Jaffar Express train coaches were derailed near Shikarpur after an explosion on the tracks, leaving an injured person.
Sukkur Railways’s divisional superintendent Jamshaid Alam said that Jaffar Express was traveling from Peshawar to Quetta when he was caught in the explosion near Sultanpur.
“After the explosion, the train operations have been suspended,” Alam said, adding that the passengers “faced serious difficulties due to the derailment of the train.”
Pakistan’s associated press He informed that Railroad Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi realized the derailment and directed the Railroad CEO and the superintendent of division to reach the scene and supervise the situation.
The minister also ordered a detailed investigation into the accident and instructed that a report be presented within seven days.
On July 29, the Railroad Ministry said the train was derailed due to a technical failure and not an explosion, and added that local residents thought that the sound of the derailed train was an explosion.
He said that an unknown terrorist outfit “took advantage of the incident” and falsely described him as an “armed attack” and realized the responsibility. “This statement is not only unfounded, but also equivalent to an example of opportunism and irrelevance.”
