Hazara Express tragedy: Investigators to inspect crash site

• Railway inspector says inquiry will be initiated in four to five days.
• Derailed bogies of Hazara Express removed from track .
• Repair works underway, might take several hours to complete.

SANGHAR: The Railway department will conduct an inspection of the site of the Hazara Express derailment in district Sanghar's Nawabshah today (Monday) to gather evidence for investigations of the deadly train crash that killed over 30 people and injured 130.

Pakistan saw another tragic train accident on Sunday when 10 bogies of Havelian-bound Hazara Express went off track near Sahara Railway Station in Sindh's Nawabshah district, some 275 kilometres away from Karachi.

The train operations on the affected up-track still remain discontinued since the suspension after the crash. However, the down-track was restored nearly 18 hours after the accident and the departures of trains facing delays at different stations began.

Railway authorities say it will take several more hours to restore the affected track.

The derailed bogies of the tragedy struck Hazara Express were removed from the track while repair works are underway.

Federal government's Railways Inspector Ali Mohammad Afridi said that the up-track will be completely restored in four to five hours.

Speaking to media in Sanghar, the official said that a site inspection was due today, while the inquiry will be initiated in four to five days after recording statements of the related individuals.

Afridi said that 300-400 kilometres of track were affected by the train crash, which is being repaired.

The track, coaches, and locomotives were being examined and the marks seen on the affected tracks are of the nut bolts and wheel flanges, he added.

Meanwhile, the administration of the Peoples Medical Hospital, Nawabshah, said that over 120 injured had been shifted to the facility and most of them have been discharged after treatment.

It said that 30 people are currently undergoing treatment.

A total of 29 bodies were claimed and taken by the heirs while the bodies of two deceased women — who could not be identified — are still at the hospital.

The railway tracks saw horrific images of overturned bogies, with people and bodies stuck under the wrecked train on Sunday.

The locals of Sanghar and Nawabshah set a great example by initiating the rescue works before the police and rescue teams could reach the shite, shifting a large number of wounded people to the medical facility immediately.

The cause of the accident still remains unknown. However, the authorities said that a thorough investigation will be done into the matter.