SUKKUR, May 25: Eight passengers were injured when four bogies of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam Express derailed between Reti and Daharki Railway Stations on Saturday.

The railway tracks were blocked for about four hours as the track and slippers were damaged.

Relief train and the district and railway administration reached at the site after three hours of the mishap.

The four economy class bogies (4400-3, 9881-3, 9759-3 and 9656-3) of the Karachi-bound 30-Dn Shah Rukne Alam Express, coming from Multan, derailed when the train reached between Rati and Daharki railway stations.

Mohammad Jamal, resident of Multan, Arshad Baig, resident of Rahimyar Khan, Fazil Hussain, resident of Sadiqabad, Naeem Hussain, resident of Liaqatpur, Arshad Hussain, resident of Bahawalnager, Intezar Hussain, resident of Dera Ghazi Khan, Zafar Ali, resident of Khanewal, Saima Naz, resident of Liaqatpur, were injured.

Train driver Shaukat Ali Khan and Fireman Abdul Rashid told journalists that the train was running at a speed of 110 mile per hour and was one hour behind its schedule when the train began jolting and added that had not they applied the emergency break, the train would have met a big disaster.

After the derailment, some of the passengers got fainted due to heat and suffocation.

Residents of the area and the team of journalists who arrived there helped the passengers out of the bogies and arranged for drinking water.

The remaining eight bogies were brought to the Daharki railway station and were later sent to Karachi after adjusting the passengers of the derailed bogies.

Railway Control Room sources told Dawn on telephone that the up track was cleared while the down track was still closed.