LAHORE:
More than 150 passengers were injured on Friday when five passenger train coaches of Islamabad Express overturned near the Kala Shah Kaku train station, just 15 kilometers from Lahore, in a terrifying derailment that avoided the train in a ravine.
The train, on Lahore route to Rawalpindi with hundreds of passengers on board, met the accident near the injured land that surrounds Kala Shah Kaku.
According to injured passengers, sudden jolts began when the train crossed the stretch near the station, which caused five rear coaches to deviate from the east side of the track and turn.
Meanwhile, the locomotive dragged four passenger coaches more than 500 meters from the rails before stopping.
Ocular witnesses described chaos and panic scenes, since men, women, children and the elderly shouted for help in the middle of the remains. With the area wrapped in the dark and difficult to access, rescue teams fought to reach the site on time.
The shouts of wounded passengers resonated during the night, creating an atmosphere of anguish and fear.
The injured passengers said that 107 was composed of nine coaches and had just crossed the outskirts of Lahore when he began to tremble violently. The derailment site is located in a remote area flanked by the steep ravines on both sides of the railroad track, which increases the fears of a much larger tragedy if the coaches overturned fall into the throats.
The 1122 rescue issued an official statement that puts the number of injured at age 27. However, the eye witnesses estimated that the number would be well above 100, and some suggested that they crossed 150.
Upon receiving the alert, Commissioner Sheikhupura, Shahid Imran Marth, the Bilal District officer Zafar Sheikh, and the 1122 rescue teams and the police units of Muridke, Sheikhupura, Ferozewala and Shahdara rushed to the scene. They supervised first aid efforts and evacuation throughout the night.
He saw many injured passengers wandering in the dark in search of their belongings or trying to reach the nearby GT road. Several used private vehicles to reach hospitals on their own, while others were transported to medical facilities under the supervision of rescue personnel.
The passengers stranded then left the scene in private vehicles, hoping to resume their trips from alternative points. Several were frantically seen trying to locate their luggage amid the derailed coaches.
While the cause of derailment remains under investigation, officials are expected to publish more details once the technical evaluations are completed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his pain for the train accident and ordered rescue teams to begin operations to help passengers as soon as possible. Ordered the provision of immediate medical assistance to the injured in a priority. Prayed for the rapid recovery of the injured.
