Pakistani authorities say at least 51 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in a train collision in southern Sindh province Monday.
Officials say more than 1,400 people were on board both the trains.
Rescue workers are still busy retrieving passengers trapped in the wreckage, fearing the death toll could still rise, Mohammad Usman Abdullah, the deputy commissioner of Ghotki district in Sindh province told local reporters.
Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said in a statement it is premature to say whether the accident occurred due to a technical error, negligence, or sabotage but all aspects were being investigated.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “shocked by the horrific” train accident and ordered a “comprehensive investigation into railway safety fault lines,” on a Twitter post. Pakistan army and paramilitary troops were on the site and assisting civilian rescue and relief efforts.
The deadly collision occurred when one passenger train derailed and another rammed into it, said a spokesman for the Pakistan Railways.
Authorities say the Millat Express, a passenger train operated daily by Pakistan Railways, derailed and slid onto the track of the oncoming Sir Syed Express near Dharki, a city in the Ghotki district.
Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah told Geo News the rescue operation is “a challenging task” and that “it will take time” using heavy machinery to free people who remain trapped.
