Shalimar Express Slams into Stationary Goods Train, Killing 1 and Injuring 13

One person was killed and 13 were injured on Sunday when the Lahore bound Shalimar Express collided with a freight train. The incident took place at Lakha Road Railway Station in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze district, officials confirmed.

The crash happened around the middle of the day as the passenger train from Karachi approached the station. According to the initial reports from Rescue 1122 and Pakistan Railways, a glitch in the signaling or interlocking system diverted the Shalimar Express onto a loop line where the freight train was parked. The impact derailed the locomotive and at least two coaches of the passenger train along with some bogies, were badly damaged or capsized.

The victim has been identified as Nadeem Shah who was an assistant guard or railway worker assigned to the goods train. He died at the scene. The 13 injured were mostly passengers including men, women and children aged 15 to 60. They were pulled from the wreckage, given first aid on site and shifted to nearby hospitals. Their injuries were described as moderate with no immediate reports of life threatening conditions. The train’s driver and the assistant driver escaped unharmed.

Rescue teams from 1122 along with local police and railway staff, rushed to the spot and cleared the area quickly. A relief train was dispatched to help restore the operations on the busy Karachi-Lahore line, though services faced temporary disruptions.

Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi took notice of the incident and ordered a high level inquiry to pinpoint the responsibility. Early findings point to possible human error or a failure in track clearance and signaling protocols, Issues that have plagued Pakistan Railways in Recent years.

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