A passenger train derailed in southern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 90, according to local media reports. The accident occurred near the town of Nawabshah in the Sindh province, about 275 kilometers from Karachi, the country’s largest city.
The train, named the Hazara Express, was heading from Karachi to Rawalpindi when 10 of its carriages derailed and some overturned, trapping many passengers inside. Rescue teams and local residents rushed to the scene to help the victims, who were transported to nearby hospitals. Some of the critically injured were airlifted to better-equipped facilities in military helicopters.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, but a senior railway official said it could be due to a mechanical fault or an act of sabotage. The minister for railways, Khaja Saad Rafiq, said he had ordered an inquiry into the incident and promised to hold those responsible accountable.
Train crashes are common in Pakistan, where the railway infrastructure is poorly maintained and outdated. The country’s colonial-era communication and signal systems have not been modernized and safety standards are low. Successive governments have tried to secure funds to upgrade the network as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative for infrastructure projects.
The last major train crash in Pakistan occurred in 2021, when two trains collided in Sindh province, killing 56 people and injuring more than 100.