LAHORE: Three girl students died and seven others were injured, two of them critically, after a train crashed into a college van at an unmanned level crossing at Sheikhupura early on Tuesday.

The accident occurred at Bahrianwala when the van driver who was carrying 10 students of various colleges ignored the train at the level crossing, witnesses told police.

They said the train coming from Shorkot to Lahore hit the rear of the van as a result of which three of the students died on the spot while seven others were injured.

Bhiki Station House Officer (SHO) Saleem Akhtar told Dawn that two sisters were among those who died. He said the van driver had picked up the students from various parts of the area to drop them to their colleges. It was sheer negligence of the driver who tried to go pass the gateless level crossing in a hurry, he said.

The SHO said the officials of the district administration, Rescue 1122 and police reached the site where the families of the girls were wailing and protesting. He said the injured were shifted to the DHQ Hospital where the condition of two of them was said to be critical while five others were discharged after initial treatment.

He said the van driver fled and the police conducted raids for his arrest and registered a case against him.

The locals and families of the girls protested against the district administration and the railways authorities for not taking measures to prevent an accident.

Pakistan Railways Police Inspector General Faisal Shahkar who had recently assumed his office told Dawn that many railway crossings located in the densely populated areas were yet to be protected by ‘crossing gates’. He said he had already issued instructions to the police officers to update him about such unmanned crossings.

He said the initial report submitted to him suggested that the accident took place owing to the negligence of the van driver.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2021