Tag: railways

  • Two men die while taking selfies

    Two men die while taking selfies

    Two men died on spot after being hit by a train in India. The deceased were standing on the railway track.

    According to India Today, Mithun Khan, 36, and Abdul Gain, 32, were taking selfies when the unfortunate incident took place in the West Medinipur district of West Bengal on Sunday.

    A third person, who was also present with the two, sustained crucial injuries and is currently hospitalised.

    The three men had gone for a picnic on the banks of the Kangsavati River. The railway bridge was situated near the spot where they went to take selfies. Eyewitnesses told the police that a train was running on the track at full speed.

    Railway Senior Section Engineer Biswajit Bala said, “Everyone is forbidden to climb on this part of the railway line. Despite the ban, many people are taking selfies lying on the train tracks. However, they did not move and ran along the line. So this accident happened.”

  • ‘Rs 620bn needed for Pakistan Railways’ total up-gradation,’ says Azam Swati

    ‘Rs 620bn needed for Pakistan Railways’ total up-gradation,’ says Azam Swati

    Railway Minister Azam Khan Swati on Wednesday said he needed Rs 620 billion for the total up-gradation of the Pakistan Railways, a few days after the fatal Ghotki train accident that claimed over 60 lives and injured over 100 passengers. 

    “I was at the site till the entire track was not restored,” said the minister, stating with regret that 63 people had died in the accident and 23 were being treated in hospitals for injuries. 

    Sharing details from the initial report, the minister said the black boxes from the trains had been retrieved. He added that work had not yet started on them for the probe, but reassured that a thorough investigation will be conducted. “It will take us at least three to four weeks,” he said, as reported in Dawn.

    “The accident occurred due to the 12 bogies being derailed,” he said, explaining that bogies of the Millat Express train had shifted to the other track.

    “I saw the signs of brakes on the tracks myself,” Swati said, adding that there was a need to do a lot more.

    Swati said relatives of the deceased will be given Rs 1.5 million by the government as compensation, adding that every injured person will be provided Rs300,000 by the authorities. Swati said that no value could be placed on the injured and the lives lost, adding that they were “precious” and “priceless”.

  • Timeline of major train accidents in Pakistan during PTI tenure

    Timeline of major train accidents in Pakistan during PTI tenure

    Two express trains collided in Sindh’s Ghotki today. At least 50 passengers have lost their lives, and 100 others are injured. The Millat Express derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it soon afterwards, railways officials confirmed, saying that the collision took place between the Raiti and Obaro railway stations. In 2019,BBC published a report stating, “historical data from Pakistan Railways shows there were 757 train accidents between 2012 and 2017. That’s an average of about 125 incidents a year.”

    Sheikh Rashid served as the Railway Minister from August 20, 2018, to December 14, 2020. A total of seven major train incidents happened during his tenure. At present, Azam Khan Swati is the Railway Minister. The present train accident in Ghotki has happened during Swati’s tenure.

     Timeline of major railways accidents during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI):

    June 7,2021: Ghotki

     At least 32 people were killed and 64 injured after two express trains collided in Sindh’s Ghotki.

    Feb 28, 2020: Rohri

    At least 19 people were killed when a train collided with a passenger bus near Sindh’s Rohri.

    October 31, 2019: Rahim Yar Khan

    More than 70 people died in a fiery explosion on a moving train, which officials later blamed on a short-circuit fire. The incident occurred near Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab.

    July 11, 2019: Sadiqabad

     A Quetta-bound train collided with a cargo train near Sadiqabad in Punjab, killing 24 and injuring over a 100. The accident was later found to the result of a delay in the switching of train tracks.

    June 20, 2019: Makli Shah

     Three people were killed when a passenger train collided with a stationary cargo train at Makli Shah, near Hyderabad.

    December 18, 2018: Narowal

    12 children were injured when a passenger train crashed into a school van near Narowal, Punjab. Eyewitnesses said the accident happened due to dense fog and because the gate at the crossing was left open.

    September 27, 2018: Sehwan

    A Peshawar-bound train had derailed in Sehwan, Sindh, due to which 11 bogies overturned.

    September 16, 2018: Attock

    Nine bogies of the Peshawar-bound Khushal Khan Khattak Express from Karachi derailed near Attock. 20 passengers were injured.

    June 9, 2018: Sukkur

    Twenty-three bogies of a Karachi-bound freight train derailed in Sukkur.

    People are recalling the words of Prime Minister Imran Khan when he said, “Anywhere in the world when a train accident occurs, the railway minister resigns. Until the minister doesn’t resign, the inquiry doesn’t process properly.”

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1401828986632740865

  • VIDEO: Cops detain protester raising slogans against Sheikh Rasheed in Sargodha

    At least one person was detained on Friday after he egged Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s passenger car upon the latter’s arrival at Sargodha Railway Station via train.

    The furious person not only egged the minister’s bogie, but also raised slogans against Rasheed “for his derogatory statements against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari”.

    A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed cops gagging the protester chanting “Sheikh Rasheed Murdabad” as they escorted him off the platform.

    Rasheed had arrived in Sargodha to inspect the railway tracks and was to address a press conference at the station, which was called off amid all the ruckus.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The minister reportedly only spoke to a few mediapersons inside his cabin and later left the station without stepping out of the train.