Karachi [Pakistan], August 3 : An economy-class coach of the newly refurbished Pak Business Express train derailed on Saturday in the yard of Karachi Cantt Railway Station, delaying its scheduled departure to Lahore by over one and a half hours, Dawn reported.
The derailment occurred just hours after Pakistan Railways restored the Lahore-Rawalpindi track near Muridke, where a major rescue and repair operation had been underway following a separate incident on Friday. In that incident, at least 29 passengers were injured after the Islamabad Express derailed near Kala Shah Kaku in Punjab's Sheikhupura district, according to Dawn. Punjab Rescue 1122 reported that five bogies of the train derailed near a chemical plant, with distress calls received around 7:32 pm. Emergency teams immediately launched relief efforts at the site.
The Karachi incident, though unrelated, added to the railways' operational challenges. According to Dawn, the affected coach was empty at the time of the incident. An official source from Pakistan Railways (PR) Karachi Division confirmed that the 33-Up train's departure was delayed due to the derailment.
It is noteworthy that the Pak Business Express, with newly upgraded coaches, was inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Lahore Railway Station.
Meanwhile, rescue, relief, and repair operations were completed between Kala Shah Kaku and Muridke sections, restoring train services between Lahore and Rawalpindi. "Our teams worked whole night. They also worked on Saturday for hours for repair/maintenance and after which the rail traffic was restored," Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi told Dawn.
"We really appreciate the respective local administrations for helping us in relief and rescue operations. At present there is no any passenger admitted in the hospitals," he added, noting he would raise concerns about deteriorating tracks with senior officials.
As per Dawn, a preliminary inspection report attributed the derailment of the Islamabad Express to "fresh rail breakage." Following this, the Ministry of Railways appointed Federal Government Inspector of Railways (FGIR) Aamir Nisar Chaudhry to conduct an inquiry from August 4 to August 6 at the PR Divisional Headquarters in Lahore.
The final report of the inquiry will be submitted to the ministry within seven days, Dawn reported.
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