SUKKUR: Railways authorities have started an investigation into the derailment of the Hazara Express train accident in which over 30 people lost their lives and several others were injured.
The Federal Government Inspector of Railways (DGIR) Ali Mohammad Afridi has reached Sarari in district Nawabshah on the instruction of Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique.
The FGIR has started the investigation to ascertain the cause of the incident. Speaking to media in Sukkur, he said it could take 15 days to compile the investigation report.
When asked whether the incident was an accident and an act of sabotage, he said all the factors are being evaluated after which the report will be prepared. He said a full inquiry will be conducted to ascertain how such a large accident occurred.
A day earlier, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that 28 passengers were reported dead and several others injured in the tragic accident of Hazara Express near Sarari railway station in Nawabshah district in Sindh.
Speaking at Railways headquarters in Lahore, the minister said that soon after the accident, an emergency was declared in hospitals of Sukkur and Nawabshah districts, while help/information desks were set up in Lahore and Faisalabad for convenience of relatives of the victims.
He also expressed his profound grief over the loss of human lives and prayed for early recovery of the injured persons. Expressing his deep sorrow over the tragic incident, he said that despite meagre resources, the Pakistan Railways employees were trying to make the train journey safe.
The federal minister promised that a thorough and impartial inquiry into the accident would be conducted to ascertain why the incident happened, though the track was fit and there was no engineering issue.
As per statement of the train driver, he was running the locomotive at a speed between 45 and 50 kilometres per hour.
“The railways inquiry team has already set for the Sarari Railway Station and at the moment, we cannot say anything about the cause of the accident, whether it was a technical fault or a saboteur act,” he said.
Saad Rafique said that he was in constant contact with Sindh chief minister, provincial administration and the DG Rangers
The accident also resulted in suspension of up and down rail traffic on Main Line-I, and Green Line was stopped at Nawab Shah Railway Station. He said that the railways management also had to change the timing schedule of various trains.
