Three derailments occur in Pakistan's Punjab in one day — Dawn
Three derailment incidents occurred in Pakistan's Punjab province over the past 24 hours. Major accidents were avoided: the problems involved the Shalimar Express, Pakistan Express and Jaffar Express trains, Dawn reports.
Shalimar Express incident
On Thursday morning, the Lahore-bound Shalimar Express entered a siding, crashed into a sand embankment and derailed. According to the publication, the braking system failed, preventing the driver from stopping the train. The locomotive and several carriages derailed, while all passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
An emergency train was dispatched from Lahore Cantt station to the scene. Crews uncoupled the derailed carriages and locomotive, after which the train departed from Lahore for Karachi with a delay of about two hours. A representative of Lahore's railway division said that the locomotive was prepared for operation later that evening.
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Two more incidents
Late on Wednesday evening near Kharian, a power car at the rear of the Karachi-bound Pakistan Express derailed. After the incident, the car separated from the train, and the distance between it and the train was about 1.5 kilometers. The driver stopped the train and informed railway services. Emergency crews replaced the car and removed it from the track.
The third incident occurred on Thursday near Gujar Khan: a power car of the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express derailed. Railway workers uncoupled the car and attached another one, after which the train continued its journey. A railway representative called this case less dangerous than the previous two but noted that the incidents disrupted train traffic.
Pakistan Railways statement
Pakistan Railways Chief Executive Officer Hafizullah confirmed the incidents and said they occurred due to a lack of maintenance over the past five years. According to him, Pakistan Railways has begun maintenance work that had previously been postponed. Dawn notes that around ten train derailments have occurred in the country since July.
