NAWABSHAH, Pakistan — At least 30 people were killed and more than 100 injured when Pakistan Railways’ Hazara Express passenger train derailed Sunday, the BBC reports.
The derailment occurred about 170 miles northeast of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the train’s starting point. Al Jazeera reports Minister of Railways Kahwaja Saad Rafique told reporters at least 1,000 passengers were on board. Another official said 10 cars of the 17-car train had derailed, according to The Independent.
German broadcaster DW reports Rafique said the train was traveling at about 45 kilometers per hour (28 mph) at the time of the derailment, and suggested that possible reasons for the derailment were “a mechanical fault” or “it might be sabotage. We will investigate it.”
The train makes a daily 33-hour, 994-mile trip from Karachi to Havelian in the north of Pakistan.
I wonder if these long distance passenger trains in India and Pakistan offer sleeping car and dining service. It is hard to imagine with the overcrowding and carriages that twist and bend even in low speed derailments.