Rehman Baba Express Derails Near Multan, Killing at Least Six

The Karachi-to-Peshawar Rehman Baba Express derailed near Multan early Tuesday, killing at least six people and injuring more than 30 others, after all 14 of its coaches came off the tracks near Sher Shah Bridge in Punjab province.

FAKTA

• The accident: The Rehman Baba Express (47-Up), travelling from Karachi to Peshawar with more than 500 passengers, derailed at about 5:15 am on Tuesday near Sher Shah, Multan.
• The toll: At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured, according to Pakistani media; the Associated Press initially reported five dead and 35 injured.
• The injured: The injured were taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan; rescue teams cleared 13 of the 14 derailed coaches.
• The response: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief and ordered the best medical care for the injured; the railways minister visited the site and ordered an investigation.
• The cause: Not yet established — a formal inquiry is underway; the driver said the signal was clear and the train was running at about 100 km/h when he felt a sudden jolt.

What Happened at Sher Shah

Railway officials said the train was passing through the Sher Shah station area when the driver felt a sudden jolt and applied the emergency brakes. When the locomotive stopped, the coaches behind it had left the rails. The derailment suspended traffic on both the up and down tracks, and a relief train and a medical van were dispatched from Multan.

Rescue 1122 teams and volunteers worked through the morning to evacuate passengers from the overturned coaches. Officials said 13 coaches had been cleared while work continued on the last one.

Rescue workers and volunteers at the derailment site near Sher Shah, Multan.

Investigation Underway Into the Multan Train Derailment

Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi travelled to the accident site, expressed sorrow over the loss of life, and directed authorities to provide compensation to the victims’ families under the Pakistan Railways insurance policy. He instructed the inspector of railways to investigate the cause.

A passenger told reporters that workers had repaired nuts and bolts on coach number nine near Rohri before the accident — a claim that has not been independently verified, and it is not clear whether the reported repair was connected to the derailment.

Train accidents are relatively common in Pakistan, where the railway system has suffered from decades of underinvestment, outdated tracks and ageing signal systems. In August 2023, the Hazara Express derailed near Nawabshah in Sindh, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 100.

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