ISLAMABAD: A joint inquiry committee has concluded that speeding was the main cause of the July 2 railway accident near Gujranwala that left 11 army personnel and six other people dead, and held responsible the two drivers and guard of the special train going to Kharian from Pano Aqil.

Releasing the committee’s report on Friday, Pakistan Railways spokesman Aftab Akbar said: “The inquiry team considered all the possible causes of derailment — bridge, track, locomotive and sabotage — which were ruled out or found inconclusive.”

The committee comprised officials of the railways ministry and the army.

It held drivers Riaz Ahmed and Muhammad Fayyaz and guard (pointsman) Shahid Mehmood responsible for the accident.

Indirect responsibility was put on six railways officials — Faisalabad Station Superintendent Muhammad Ehsanul Haq and Loco Foreman Muhammad Hanif, Lahore Chief Controller Zahid Saeed, Deputy Chief Controllers Syed Zafar Siddiqui Akhtar and Allah Rakha and Section Controller Muhammad Awais Akhtar.

The committee recommended appropriate action under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules against all those found responsible.

According to the spokesman, the running of the train at more than double the permissible speed of 30km per hour for Group-I locomotives led to increased lateral and vertical oscillations, becoming “violent with the result that wheels of the rear truck of the locomotive derailed inside and outside on curved track, resulting in such a catastrophe, aggravated due to late application of emergency brakes”.

The report was prepared on the basis of evidence, statements of witnesses, scrutiny of the record, observations made during the site’s inspection and discussions.

The train plunged into Chanawan Canal while crossing a bridge. A driver was also killed in the accident.

Mr Akbar said the investigators had ruled out “any possibility of sabotage”.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2015

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