Five people were killed and several others were injured when the Peshawar-bound Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Railway Station in Multan district on Tuesday, officials said.
asserted
officials → kill → Tuesday
Pakistan Railways (PR) Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Hafeezullah confirmed the death toll to Dawn, adding that more than 40 had been injured.
According to an initial investigation report by the PR, the derailment was likely caused by a fault in a passenger coach.
uncertain
derailment → confirm → coach
Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has appointed the federal government inspector of railways (FGIR) as the inquiry officer.
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Abbasi → appoint → officer
“We have appointed the FGIR to probe the incident,” Abbasi told Dawn.
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Abbasi → appoint → Dawn
Speaking to Dawn, train driver Rizwan Abbas said the train was travelling at 100 kilometres per hour.
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train → speak → hour
“The signal was clear, and as I was passing through the Sher Shah station area, I suddenly felt a push,” he said.
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he → pass → push
He said he applied the brakes and managed to bring the train to a stop.
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he → say → stop
“When I got out of the locomotive and looked back, I saw that the passenger coaches had derailed and were lying off the tracks.
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coaches → get → tracks
It was horrible,” he said.
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he → say → ?
Abbas maintained that the train was in working order.
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train → maintain → order
In an earlier statement, the railways minister expressed grief over the loss of life, saying he shared the sorrow of the bereaved families, according to an official statement.
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he → express → statement
He directed the authorities to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured passengers and said compensation would be paid to the deceased and injured in accordance with the Pakistan Railways insurance policy, as per the statement.
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compensation → direct → statement
Meanwhile, a replacement train for the Rehman Baba Express, carrying more than 500 passengers, departed from Sher Shah Railway Station, according to a statement.
uncertain
train → carry → statement
Buses were also arranged in coordination with the Multan district administration for passengers wishing to continue their journeys by road.
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Buses → arrange → road
The statement added that all field formations of the Commercial Department were on high alert to facilitate passengers.
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formations → add → passengers
Multan Commissioner Amir Karim Khan also met the affected passengers and their families and assured them of all possible assistance.
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Khan → meet → assistance
For its part, the PR set up round-the-clock information and help desks at all major stations to guide and assist passengers following the accident.
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PR → set → accident
Divisional commercial officers (DCOs) were also directed to arrange alternative travel options and ensure ticket refunds wherever necessary.
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officers → direct → refunds
Ministry working to resolve issues
Speaking to the media later, the railways minister acknowledged that it was his responsibility to ensure safe journeys for passengers.
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it → work → passengers
“Before this, no one even tried to focus on the mechanical condition of trains,” he said.
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he → try → trains
“Even today, there are five or six trains, such as the Karakoram Express, Millat Express and Awam Express, that you cannot even look at because they seem ancient.
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they → be → that
He described freight wagons as “dummies” because, he said, they did not have brakes.
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they → describe → brakes
Abbasi added that his ministry was working to address problems with locomotives, coaches and wagons, setting Dec 31 as the deadline for the work to be completed.
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work → add → deadline
“All of this work will be completed by Dec 31,” Abbasi said.
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Abbasi → complete → Dec
Asked whether he would resign, the minister said: “Have some patience.
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minister → ask → patience
We need to investigate the incident first, and those responsible will be held accountable.
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those → need → incident
We are trying to prevent such incidents and making efforts to that end.
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We → try → end
Giving up and running away is not in our nature.”
Abbasi expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, saying there could be no substitute for those who had died and that the incident should not have happened.
President, PM express condolences
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement on X, expressed concern over the incident, extending “heartfelt condolences and sympathy” to the bereaved families.
He also expressed best wishes for the injured passengers’ early recovery.
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He → give → recovery
“The President directs relevant authorities to ensure assistance to the affected passengers and provision of all possible facilities.
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President → direct → facilities
Transparent investigations should be conducted to determine the causes of the accident,” Zardari said.
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Zardari → conduct → accident
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the deaths caused by the derailment.
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Sharif → express → derailment
The premier took notice of the incident and instructed the relevant authorities to expedite rescue and relief operations, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
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premier → take → Pakistan
He also called for providing immediate and the best possible medical facilities to the injured.
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He → call → injured
“PM Shehbaz prayed for peace for the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families to bear the loss, besides sympathising with the affected families,” APP reported.
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APP → pray → families
On October 1, two passenger trains, Shalimar Express and Pakistan Express, narrowly escaped major accidents after derailing, while a third minor accident also occurred on Jaffar Express on the track near Gujar Khan.
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accident → escape → Khan
At the time, PR Chief Executive Officer Hafeezullah said the accidents happened due to a lack of maintenance in the last five years, while claiming that a series of maintenance measures had been undertaken.
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series → say → measures
In August, the Yousafwala coal train derailed near Firoza Railway Station (between Khanpur and Liaqatpur) after it ran into the sand hump on the loopline, apparently due to weak brakes or the driver not applying the brakes in time.
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driver → derail → time
The same day, a passenger train (Rawal Express) derailed near Kala Gujran in Jhelum district on the Main Line-1 (Lahore-Rawalpindi track), disrupting railway operations.
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train → derail → operations
On Aug 4, the Havailian-bound Hazara Express also met with an accident when its driver reportedly overshot and hit the sand hump, causing loss of rolling stock and other infrastructure.
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driver → bind → stock
Similarly, Aug 5 saw another derailment as the Bulleh Shah Passenger train derailed.
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train → see → derailment
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
