February 04, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 15, 1428

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HYDERABAD, Feb 3: A 10-year-old boy died and five of his family including his mother, three brothers and a sister sustained injuries after a bogie fell on the wall of their house when the chain of a relief train snapped while lifting a derailed bogie of Allama Iqbal Express to clear the track near GOR Colony on Saturday.

Arbab, son of Nazar Ahmed alias Allah Divaya was killed and his brothers Rasheed, Shaheed, Jabbar, sister Samina and mother Shamim sustained injuries.

They were at home in Multani Mohalla of GOR Colony when the railway relief trains started removing derailed bogies after making announcements through mosque loudspeakers and personally asking the residents of nearby colony urging them to leave their homes until the tracks were cleared, said Divisional Superintendent Karachi Mir Mohammad Khaskheli.

A neighbour said that Ms Shamim whose husband, a plumber, had gone to Punjab for work, was not good at hearing.

Mr Khaskheli said that the warnings did not budge the residents. The personnel of law enforcers did knock on their doors asking them to shift to other places but they did not, the residents admitted.

It was bogie number 9126 which fell on the wall of the house resulting in the accident when it was being removed from upcountry track. Some people of the area argued that the bogie could have been shifted towards down-country track but the railway workers did not opt for it.

Mr Khaskheli said that three cranes were used to clear tracks during the relief operation and both the upcountry and down-country tracks had been cleared for traffic by 9:00 am. The train traffic had now been restored and all the trains were plying according to their schedule, he said.

Mr Khaskheli said that that the accident had left about 500 to 600 foot of track damaged, which would be replaced. "Apparently the accident was caused by a broken rail but a final assessment will be given by the inquiry committee as it involved technical queries. No one has been suspended so far," he said.

He said that the trolleys were slightly damaged and there was no major material loss.

Pakistan Railways (PR) Chairman Shakeel Durrani who arrived on Saturday ordered enquiry into the Friday's derailment of seven bogies of Silakot bound 9-up Allama Iqbal Express between Kotri and Hyderabad railway sections causing injuries to 15 people. He appointed a three-member principal officers enquiry committee to probe into the accident.

Accompanied by PR General Manager Asad Saeed and Additional General Manager Imtiazul Haq who also held the charge of Federal Government Inspector Railways (FGIR) he visited tracks, inspected damaged bogies and trolleys and obtained information about the accident. The committee comprised Chief Mechanical Engineer Mian Ahsan Mahmood, Chief Operating Superintendent Maqsood Ahmad Khan and Chief Engineer Ali Hasan Toori.

Mr Durrani told Dawn that the committee had been asked to submit a preliminary report within a week about the causes of derailment. "The committee's findings will enable us to take remedial measures on our part," he said.

He said that the federal government had been working on a Rs10 billion revamping and upgrading programme of tracks for past four years from Karachi to Khanewal. "The section between Kotri and Hyderabad where the accident occurred has not been covered under the programme,” said the chairman in response to a question.

He said that that the programme which when completed by 2008 would ensure plying of high speed trains.

Meanwhile, thousands of passengers faced difficulties in getting refund of their tickets. The railways authorities returned them Rs80 for their journey up to Karachi from Hyderabad but the bus operators arranged by railway authorities charged them Rs120.

The refund payment continued till early Saturday morning.