Hundreds killed in Pakistani train collision

Three hundred people died after three trains collided in southern Pakistan early Wednesday. The deadly chain-reaction happened after a train driver misread a signal. The collision has been already admitted as the country's worst crash in more than a decade, police and railway officials said.

The nighttime accident jolted passengers awake to a horrifying smash-up that left metal, glass and body parts strewn across a remote railway station near Ghotki. Rescuers frantically cut through twisted metal to reach survivors, as ambulances and buses ferried the injured to nearby hospitals, reports the AP.

A nightmare in Pakistan: hundreds of people killed in train collision - photo-report

About 1000 people are reported to be wounded.

The accident occurred at about 4 a.m. near Ghotki, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) northeast of Karachi, in remote Sindh province. The initial collision derailed at least three carriages onto another track where they were struck by the third train, causing further derailment, said Abdul Aziz, a senior controller at Pakistan Railways. In all, some 13 cars derailed.

Government has announced Rs. 2,00,000 compensation for families of each deceased, says Pakistani's The International News.

President and Prime Minister while expressing condolence over the train tragedy have directed the authorities to provide best relief to the injured.

Pakistan Railways (PR) has become the biggest loss-making entity in public sector as it annually incurs a loss of Rs7.17 billion, said Amer Zafar Durrani, the World Bank’s senior transport specialist, while speaking at a two-day seminar on ‘Prospects of Developing Regional Tourism and Role of Different Modes of Transport’ yesterday - before the tragedy occurred, reports Pakistani's Dawn Internet edition.

Photo: AP