HYDERABAD: Police have registered a case against the deceased van driver following Sunday night’s accident in Matiari area involving the van and a train. Seven other people were also killed and four others suffered injuries.

The case has been registered on the complaint of Shahpur Darpur SHO Imdad Lashari against Qadir Bukhsh, the driver.

The complainant has also held ‘negligence of the Railways department’ partly responsible for the accident.

The van was crushed under the wheels of Lahore-bound Fareed Express at an unmanned railway crossing near Allah Dino Sand station.

The deceased included Sawan Nahiyoon, Chandsar, his wife Shama and brothers Dev, Harchand, Parbhu and Jay Mal. One Bhooro miraculously survived as he managed to jump off the van before it was hit by the train.

The injured are: Jagsi, Bassu, Amarshi and Parbhu.

According to reports, the dead and the injured, farm labourers by profession, belonged to the same family.

The train engine was also damaged in the accident and later replaced to enable the train to resume its journey.

Senior Superintendent of Police of Matiari Amjad Shaikh said that it had been stated in the FIR that the railway authorities had failed to display signs of unmanned railway crossing in the area and put up a barrier to slow down speed of vehicles approaching the crossing.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2016