62 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after two passenger trains collided in southern Pakistan. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, while many were reported to be in a serious condition.

Yesterday’s train crash in Pakistan’s Sindh province weighs heavily in loss of life. The death toll from the crash has risen to 62, with 11 more bodies found today, as reported by the local media. More than 100 passengers were injured as a result of the crash, with some reported to be in serious condition.

Railways Minister Muhammed Azam Khan Swati, who visited the crash site for inspections, said a thorough investigation would be carried out and those responsible would be punished.

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According to the news on the BBC’s website, the accident took place in the early hours of the Monday morning. The Millat Express train, which departed from Karachi, overturned in Sindh and fell on another rail track. The Sir Syed Express from Rawalpindi crashed into the overturned carriages on the track, and overturned.

Usman Abdullah, a senior official from the Ghotki region, told Reuters that it was difficult to know how many people were trapped under the wagons. Abdullah said, “6-8 wagons were completely destroyed. There is a sleeper car, an air-conditioned car and an economy car with about 50 people. There were 50-60 people on the other train.”

The location of the accident is remote and we are having difficulties in rescue efforts,” a railway spokesperson told the French news agency AFP.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a statement on his social media account, stated that the accident “shocked” him and promised that a comprehensive investigation would be carried out.

More than 150 people died in train crashes in 8 years

Traveling by train in Pakistan, which has an extensive railway network, is preferred by citizens in the middle and lower income groups. However, passengers complain that the wagons are generally too crowded and the trains are neglected in overhaul and facilities.

A series of train accidents in Pakistan have occurred in recent years, costing the lives many people.

Between 2013 and 2019, 150 people lost their lives in various accidents. In July last year, 21 people were killed when a train crashed into a minibus in the Punjab.

In October 2019, 70 people died due to a gas canister explosion on a train from Karachi to Rawalpindi, and another 20 people died in July 2019.

According to the data released by the Pakistan Railways, there were 757 train accidents between 2012 and 2017, which means an average of 125 incidents per year.

Officials state that there are three main causes of train crashes in Pakistan: lack of maintenance of the tracks, signal problems and out-of-date engines.