HYDERABAD: Two freight trains collided near Bolhari railway station in Jamshoro district on Saturday, injuring four people, spilling over 150 tonnes of oil and suspending the railway route to and from Karachi.
Eight compartments of the trains flipped over and a few derailed after the collision which took place a few kilometres away from the Kotri Railway Junction in Jamshoro.
Railway officials said a goods train coming from Karachi hit another freight train carrying oil at the Bolhari station. Nearly a dozen trains, including the Awam Express, the Shalimar Express, the Fareed Express, the Bahauddin Zikriya Express and the Pakistan Express, were stopped at different railway stations in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The Pakistan Railways (Karachi) divisional superintendent informed the media persons that the injured railway workers had been shifted to Taluka Hospital Kotri while the removal of derailed oil tankers and containers has been started with repair of the main track by the engineering wing.
He informed that around 10 to 12 hours were required to restore the railway traffic at the both up and down tracks.
Due to expected several hours delay in restoring the railway track; the management was considering providing bus facility to commuters of halted passenger trains at the Hyderabad and Kotri Railway Junctions, the railways official said.
Railways minister takes notice: Pakistan Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has ordered the PR administration to provide an immediate relief to the passengers affected by the accident.
According to PR sources, the minister who was on a visit to China along with a delegation led by the prime minister contacted the PR seeking report on the accident. The minister also expressed grief and sorrow over the accident.
He directed the PR administration to ensure restoration of the track as soon as possible.
The PR administration informed the minister that passengers had been given options of refunding their amounts by returning tickets or travel to their destination from Hyderabad.
The administration said that relief work was in progress at a brisk pace to restore the track for rail traffic.
It has been decided to operate Pakistan Express, Allama Iqbal express train, Business Express train, Karakorum express train from Hyderabad.
Information desks have been set up in Karachi and Hyderabad to facilitate the passengers.
Special relief trains have been reached at the spot to ensure speedy relief operation.
