LODHRAN – One person was killed and at least 24 passengers sustained injuries when four coaches of the Awam Express derailed near Lodhran railway station in the early hours of Sunday.
According to Lodhran Deputy Commissioner Dr. Lubna Nazir, the injured included four women, three children, and 16 men. Seventeen passengers were administered first aid and later discharged, while three others are under treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital and reported to be out of danger.
Initially, officials reported 19 injuries, but the figure rose as more passengers were rescued from the derailed compartments. The injured were shifted to Bahawal Victoria Hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries. Rescue teams promptly carried out evacuation operations and pulled passengers out of the wrecked carriages. “The cause of the derailment is yet to be determined,” Dr. Nazir said.
Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Muhammad Hanif Abbasi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and ordered an inquiry into the incident, directing that a report be submitted within seven days. He further instructed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for all injured passengers.
Abbasi stated that train movement on the up track had been restored, while efforts were continuing to clear the down track. The Awam Express was en route from Peshawar to Karachi at the time of the accident.
The incident follows a series of train-related mishaps in recent months. In July, a blast on the track near Shikarpur derailed three coaches of the Jaffar Express, injuring one passenger and suspending operations. Earlier in June, five bogies of the same train derailed near Jacobabad after another explosion, though no casualties were reported.
