LAHORE, Feb 10: The number of train-related accidents increased while causalties decreased in 2006 from the previous year.

Some 164 people were killed and 240 others injured in accidents in 2005 while the number dropped to 37 and 154 the following year in the seven divisions of the Pakistan Railways, officials have told Dawn.

The number of accidents of different kind in 2005 was 113 but the figure rose to 125 in 2006 in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Karachi and Quetta divisions of the PR.

“Accident in the railways means intra-collision of passengers, goods and mixed trains and locomotives; collisions of trains and locomotives with automobiles and animal-driven vehicles at manned and unmanned level crossings; derailments of locomotives and trains and eruption of fire in trains,” officials said.

Of those who were killed in 2005, 138 were passengers, nine railway employees and 17 others. Among injured, 201 were passengers, 11 railway employees and 28 others.

In 20006, three passengers, two railway employees and 32 other people died while 125 passengers, four railway employees and 25 others were injured.

Collisions and derailments in 2005 left 128 passengers dead and 201 injured while the figure dropped to three and 125 the following year. Eight railway employees were killed while nine others injured in 2005 while the figure was two and four in 2006.

No passenger or railway employee was killed in any accident at manned level crossings in the two years. Only one railway employee was injured at a manned level crossing in 2005 while no passenger was hurt in the two years. Three railway employees were killed and one was injured at unmanned level crossings in 2005 while there were no casualties in 2006.

One man was injured at a manned level crossing in 2005. Four people were killed and six injured there the following year. Seventeen people were killed and 27 injured at the unmanned level crossings in 2005 while the figure rose to 28 and 18 the following year.