Train derailment kills 30 in southern Pakistan

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Rescue workers searched for survivors of a train derailment in southern Pakistan. Associated Press/Photo by Pervez Masih

Train derailment kills 30 in southern Pakistan

Engineers in Pakistan on Monday partially restored rail service to a regional line where a passenger train derailed the day before. The accident killed 30 people and wounded nearly 100 others. A nearby hospital on Monday returned the bodies of 27 victims to their families, according to hospital superintendent Aqeel Ahmed Qureshi. Three victims were still unidentified as of Monday morning.

Are accidents like this common? While authorities are still investigating the incident, officials said poorly maintained tracks may have contributed to the accident. Pakistan’s Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said the country does not have enough funds to properly maintain its infrastructure. In 2021, two trains collided in the country’s Sindh province, killing at least 65 people.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in WORLD Magazine assessing the safety of U.S railroads after a derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.