Train plunges into canal, killing 14 troops

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: A train carrying hundreds of military personnel and their families plunged into a canal on Thursday, killing 14 soldiers, when a bridge collapsed in what the army suspects was sabotage, officials said.

The military’s media wing confirmed that four carriages fell into the canal. It said the commander of one unit was among the casualties.

The crash in Gujranwala district happened as an army unit was being transported from Sindh to northern part.

“There were around 300 passengers on board,” Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq told Reuters. “It is too early to say about the reason for the mishap. Rescue work is under way.” More than 50 people were rescued, a military official said.

Television images of the scene showed several carriages partly submerged in the canal.

The army’s media wing said eight bodies had been pulled out of the water. Rafiq told private TV that six people were missing and the cause of the crash was unknown. But a senior military official said the army suspected sabotage.

“We suspect that this was an act of sabotage... The planks on the rail were tampered with,” the official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The collapse also raises concerns about the safety of infrastructure. Several TV channels reported that the bridge had been marked as “extremely dangerous”.—Reuters

Recorder report adds: The train comprising six passenger compartments and 21 freight compartments was on its way from Sukkur Railways Division to Rawalpindi Railways Division. Emergency has been declared in hospitals in Gujranwala while hospitals in Lahore have also been on alert in this regard.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed concerns on the train accident in Gujranwala.