NAUSHAHROFEROZE, Sept 23: Railway traffic on up and down tracks was suspended after 17 oil bogies of a goods train derailed near Kot Lalu railway station on Saturday morning.

The engine and nine bogies of the train going to the Punjab from Karachi were badly damaged in the accident.

Of the 17 bogies, oil from nine spread over three acres of railway land and reached near houses killing four donkeys and injuring two others.

Furnace oil was also oozing out from eight other derailed bogies.

Residents of nearby villages expressed fear that a fire could break out in furnace oil.

Railway authorities said that oil worth millions of rupees was lost while losses in the shape of damaged engine and bogies would also runs in millions of rupees.

The engine driver said that the train was moving at a speed of 35 kilometres per hour and he applied breaks near Darya Khan Mari but failed.

A team of engineers reached the spot from Sukkur and opened the tracks after five hours.

Driver Zaib Shah, fireman Mohammad Muneer and guard Mohammad Mujeeb have been suspended by the railways authorities.