New Delhi. Like buses in the neighboring country, the train was packed with passengers. The situation is such that the passenger was not able to get up from where he sat. Why not, the festival of Eid al-Adha was near. When the train was passing through a crowded area. Then a fish plate broke on the track and the train derailed. There was chaos all around. Many coaches overturned. More than 40 people died in the accident. The case is of Pakistan, where a major train accident took place on this day 18 years ago.
On 19 December 2007, Karachi Express was going from Karachi to Lahore. Since the festival was near, there was a huge crowd in the train. Happiness was visible on the faces of all the passengers. People were traveling with luggage for their relatives. The passengers had different kinds of dreams. Most of the passengers were sleeping around 2.30 in the night. When the train was passing over a bridge near Mehrabpur in Sindh province. Then there was a sharp shock. Before the passengers in the train could understand anything, the train fell down. There was a huge crowd where this incident took place. There was shouting all around. Everyone was shouting for help.
- The train was going from Karachi to Lahore.
- There was a huge crowd in the train due to Eid-al-Adha festival.
- 12 coaches of the 16-coach train derailed and overturned.
- The cause of the accident was breakage of fish plate in the track.
- The speed of the train was more than 100 km/hour
How many coaches did you board?
There were 16 coaches in the entire train. There was a huge crowd in all the coaches. In the accident, 12 coaches of the train derailed and overturned. The extent of the accident can be gauged from the fact that some coaches were completely damaged. Passengers got stuck in other coaches. Eyewitnesses said that suddenly there was a strong shock and the train fell down near the bridge. The speed of the train was high at the time of the accident, due to which there was huge damage.
During investigation, overload was also considered a reason for the accident.
Number of passengers killed
The number of deaths in the accident was initially reported as 58, but later it was officially confirmed that 40 people were killed. The number of injured was more than 150, many of whom were seriously injured. This was one of the major train accidents in Pakistan.
Why was there delay in treatment?
Army engineers immediately started relief work after the accident. Used cranes and cutting machines. The injured were sent to local hospitals, but treatment was delayed due to the crowd. Some people were discharged after first aid. Railways ordered immediate investigation into the accident. A committee was formed. The committee submitted the report, in which many revelations were made.
Which train was derailed?
Karachi Express going from Karachi to Lahore
What was the main reason for the accident?
The train was overloaded and there was heavy crowd due to Eid-al-Adha festival.
How did the accident happen?
At around 2.30 in the night, the train derailed and fell down due to breaking of the fish plate near the bridge.
How many passengers were affected in the accident?
About 200 people were affected.
What came in the investigation report?
The accident occurred due to breakage of fish plate, excessive speed and overloading, lack of track maintenance.
What was the reason for the accident?
The investigation committee of Pakistan Railways found that there was a defect in the track. A fishplate (rail joining plate) was broken, causing the track to break. The investigation also revealed that the speed was very high. At the time of the accident, the speed of the train was more than 100 kmph, whereas the speed limit in that area was less. Overloading was also considered a major reason in the report. There were more passengers than the train’s capacity, which increased the weight and increased the possibility of derailment. Railways’ negligence came to light in the accident. There was lack of track maintenance and old track was used.
What steps should be taken on overloading?
Based on the investigation report, Railways took several steps. Strict restrictions on overloading were imposed and strict monitoring of passenger numbers in trains was started. Orders were given to upgrade the speed control system. The then Railway Minister of Pakistan said in the Parliament that the responsibility of the accident lies with the Railways and action will be taken against the guilty officials. The report recommended that old tracks be replaced with new ones and the signal system be modernized.
Could the accident have been avoided?
The Pakistani government compensated the families of the deceased, but many families raised questions about the impartiality of the investigation. According to the report, this could have been avoided if the track maintenance was done on time. In this way the matter of negligence has come to light.
