Train derails near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan
At least five passengers died and around 30 others sustained injuries when the Rehman Baba Express derailed in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Tuesday morning, according to police.
The train was travelling from Karachi to Peshawar when it went off the tracks near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan at around 5.15 am. The circumstances leading to the derailment remained unclear at the time of the report.
Emergency services were deployed to the accident site as rescue personnel began evacuating passengers from the affected coaches. The injured were transported to Nishtar Hospital in Multan for medical treatment.
According to Geo News, citing police and rescue officials, teams had cleared 13 coaches by the time the report was published. Rescue operations were continuing inside another coach, indicating that emergency personnel were still working to reach passengers and assess the situation.
The reported death toll and number of injured reflected the information available at the time of publication. The figures could change as rescue teams completed their work and authorities received further information from hospitals and the accident site.
Rescue teams continue evacuation efforts
Rescue personnel worked to clear the affected coaches and assist passengers following the early-morning accident.
The priority for emergency teams was to evacuate people safely, locate anyone who might remain trapped and transport injured passengers to medical facilities. Authorities were also expected to assess the condition of the train and the surrounding railway infrastructure.
Nishtar Hospital in Multan received passengers injured in the derailment. Further information about the severity of their injuries and their medical condition was not immediately available in the supplied report.
The scale of the rescue operation meant that authorities needed to establish a clearer picture of the casualties and the damage before releasing a complete account of the incident.
Passenger raises question over reported coach repair
A passenger reportedly told journalists that workers had repaired the nuts and bolts of coach number nine near Rohri before the accident.
The claim raised questions about the maintenance history of the train and whether any work had been carried out on the affected coach before it derailed. However, the account had not been independently verified at the time of reporting.
It was also unclear whether the reported repair had any connection to the accident. No confirmed findings were available to establish a link between the alleged maintenance work and the derailment.
Investigators would need to examine the train, the condition of the track, maintenance records and other relevant evidence before determining what caused the incident.
Until such findings are available, the passenger’s statement should be treated as an unverified account rather than proof of a maintenance failure.
Shehbaz Sharif orders faster rescue operations
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of life and called on the relevant authorities to accelerate rescue operations.
He directed officials to ensure that injured passengers received the best possible medical care without delay. His instructions came as emergency personnel continued working at the accident site and hospitals treated those injured.
The prime minister’s response placed immediate emphasis on rescue efforts and medical assistance. Further official information was expected as authorities assessed the extent of the damage and investigated the circumstances of the derailment.
The cause of the accident had not been officially established when the report was published. It was not clear whether the derailment resulted from a track defect, a mechanical problem, a maintenance issue or another factor.
Railway safety concerns in Pakistan
The latest accident has again drawn attention to railway safety in Pakistan, where serious train accidents have raised concerns about infrastructure, maintenance and operational standards.
In August 2023, the Hazara Express derailed near Nawabshah in Sindh province, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 100. The accident prompted renewed scrutiny of safety conditions across the country’s railway network.
However, each accident requires an independent investigation, and the circumstances of the Hazara Express derailment cannot be assumed to explain the latest incident near Multan.
Pakistan’s railway authorities will need to establish the immediate cause of the Rehman Baba Express derailment through technical inspections and an examination of the relevant operational records.
The reported passenger account concerning work on coach number nine may form part of the questions requiring clarification, but it does not establish that the repair contributed to the accident.
Investigation expected as rescue work progresses
With rescue operations continuing at the time of reporting, authorities had yet to provide a definitive explanation for the derailment.
The next steps are expected to include a detailed assessment of the damaged coaches, examination of the railway tracks and a review of any maintenance or operational records relevant to the incident.
Investigators will also need to establish the final casualty figures and determine whether any additional passengers require medical assistance.
For the families of those killed and injured, the immediate priority remains confirmation of their relatives’ conditions and access to medical support. For railway authorities, the focus will be on completing rescue operations and identifying the factors responsible for the accident.
The derailment of the Karachi–Peshawar service has resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, but the precise cause remains unknown. Any conclusions about equipment failure, maintenance shortcomings or other contributing factors must await verified findings from the relevant authorities.
