Three killed as train crashes into car in Hyderabad

Vehicles were passing through a non-gated railway crossing

HYDERABAD: A train passing through an non-gated railway crossing in Hyderabad rural struck a car, killing all three persons travelling in the vehicle. The incident occured near Tando Jam in Mureed Sipo village on Wednesday.

After the crash, the car stuck with the engine of Rehman Baba Express, carrying passengers from Peshawar to Karachi. It took more than two hours to remove the vehicle from the engine and pull out the three dead bodies. The train's engine, however, remained unaffected as it resumed the journey to Karachi after the car was separated from the engine.

The deceased have been identified as Sachal Khaskheli, Aslam Chandio and Ameer Bux, residents of Benazirabad district. The incident's FIR has not been registered so far.

According to residents, dozens of railway crossings from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas are either without gates or remain unmanned. In February 2016, nine people were killed at the same crossing when a train hit a Mazda truck passing through the crossing.

According to Railways officials, the responsibility for construction of gates on a crossing and manning it with staff lies with either the local administration or the provincial government which build roads through the tracks.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2019.