In 2nd accident Pak Business Express derails in Lahore

LAHORE:

Pak Business Express derailed on Saturday near the washing line area in Lahore, just days after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to Express News, the derailment has not yet been attributed to a specific cause.

Railway officials said the train went off track in the early hours, prompting the immediate dispatch of rescue teams. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.

The premier had inaugurated the Pak Business Express at the Lahore Railway Station earlier this week.

Designed to meet international standards of comfort and service, the train marked a significant upgrade from traditional railway offerings.

Meanwhile, the railway track near Kala Shah Kaku was restored on Saturday, and a fitness report was issued accordingly.

On Friday, over 150 passengers were injured when five coaches of the Islamabad Express overturned near Kala Shah Kaku railway station — just 15 kilometres from Lahore - in a terrifying derailment that narrowly avoided plunging the train into a ravine.

The train, en route from Lahore to Rawalpindi with hundreds of passengers aboard, met with the accident near the rugged terrain surrounding Kala Shah Kaku.

It took over 17 hours to repair the 770-foot damaged section of track, with more than 400 laborers using traditional tools to manually install track joints.

Among the injured was Fazal Rahim, a resident of Swat, currently receiving treatment at THQ Hospital Muridke. Speaking to media, he recounted the moments leading to the derailment, saying:

"The train was speeding excessively. Even near Shahdara, there were noticeable jolts. When we reached Kala Shah Kaku, the accident happened. There was darkness, panic, and screams everywhere. It was terrifying."

Expressing his frustration, Fazal added, "The world has moved on to bulletproof, high-speed trains, but our system remains the same, an absolute tragedy. It's the government's responsibility to provide the people with better facilities, but it's failing miserably."

Preliminary findings

The derailment of the Islamabad Express near Kala Shah Kaku has been attributed to a rail fracture, a preliminary joint investigation report revealed on Saturday.

The accident occurred near Shahdara Station, where the track was found to be severely damaged. Investigators revealed that the derailment was caused by a "fresh breakage off the rail," suggesting that the condition of the track was fragile at several points along the route.

The joint report confirmed that the train went off track due to a broken rail joint, with sections of the track visibly fractured at the crash site. It further noted that the fragile condition of the railway lines contributed to the derailment.

In response to the incident, the Ministry of Railways has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to determine the full cause of the accident and assign responsibility.

The committee comprises Additional General Manager Infrastructure Hammad Raza, Chief Mechanical Engineer Carriage Yusuf Laghari and Director Civil Works Arif ur Rehman.

The committee has been directed to submit a comprehensive inquiry report to the Ministry of Railways within seven days.

Meanwhile, an initial report has already been submitted to Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi. It confirms that the derailment was triggered by a broken joint. However, it adds that further aspects of the incident will be examined in the detailed inquiry.

Over 150 passengers were left injured on Friday when five coaches of the Islamabad Express passenger train overturned near Kala Shah Kaku railway station, just 15 kilometres from Lahore, in a terrifying derailment that narrowly avoided plunging the train into a ravine.

The train, en route from Lahore to Rawalpindi with hundreds of passengers aboard, met with the accident near the rugged terrain surrounding Kala Shah Kaku.

According to injured passengers, the sudden jolts began as the train crossed the stretch near the station, causing five rear coaches to veer off the eastern side of the track and overturn.

Meanwhile, the locomotive dragged four passenger coaches over 500 metres off the rails before coming to a halt.