At least eight people including seven students and a rickshaw driver were killed while another five sustained injuries as a train hit a motorbike rickshaw near Jalalpur Morr Lodhran, about 40 kilometres away from here on Friday morning.

Multan Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) Nabeela Aslam said that 12-Down Hazara Express was heading for Karachi when it hit a rickshaw at 8am near Jalalpur Morr level crossing at Lodhran.

She said that eight people including seven students and the motorbike rickshaw driver died on the spot and another five people including a passer-by received injuries in the accident.

She said that the injured were shifted to Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur. She said that Lodhran police arrested the level crossing guard identified as Afzal and train driver and assistant driver Iftikhar and Tauqir.

She said that Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq would visit hospital to inquire about the injured. Nabeela said that an inquiry committee consisting of three officials had been constituted which would investigate the matter from January 7.

MS Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur Dr Rao Javed said that one injured, Maryum, 6, daughter of Nadeem, succumbed to her head injury. He said that five wounded being treated were identified as Saqlain, 6, son of Amjad, Yusuf, 8, son of Akbar Ali, Arslan, 11, son of Salman, Salman, 6, son of Kashif, and Zahid, 6, son of Nadeem. He said that two of the injured were being treated at Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while others were admitted to different wards. He said that four, out of five, had severe head injuries while one was brought with minor injury.

According to Rescue sources, all the victims belonged to Member Wala Khooh, Mouza Kundi, Lodhran. The deceased included Sajjad, son of Ishtiaq, Irfan, son of Salman, Usman and Danish and three others yet to be identified, Rescue sources added.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that responsible of Lodhran accident would not be spared after comprehensive inquiry and initial inquiry report of the accident was expected within 24 hours. However, both drivers of the train and gate keeper have been arrested and investigation team has reached at the spot, he added.

He was addressing a press conference about Lodhran accident at Lahore Railways Headquarters on Friday.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed grief and sorrow over the accident at Lodhran Railway crossing. The CM Shahbaz also directed concerned authorities to provide best medical facilities to the injured.