RAWALPINDI, Dec 11: A passenger train crashed into a car at a crossing near the Golra Railway Station on Tuesday, killing three persons and injuring four, railway and police authorities said.

No one on board the Havalian-Karachi 12-down Hazara Express train was injured. The train did not derail, the deputy superintendent railways, Malik Hayat said and the railway track was cleared after about 25 minutes.

Mr Hayat said the train smashed into a car at an “unmanned level crossing” at about 5.15pm. One person was killed on the spot while two died after reaching hospital.

Mohammad Suleman, the driver of the train, which had been travelling at 65 kmph, had reportedly spotted the vehicle on the track but was unable to stop in time and the train smashed into the car, which the railway authorities said, was illegally crossing the line.

Three persons on board the ill-fated car, Aslam, Tanveer and Ustaad Hameed were killed while four were injured. The injured were identified as Mehboob, Shabir, Khurram and Ibrar.

After the train came to a halt, the rescuers pulled out the people trapped in the car’s wreckage and took them to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where one of the injured was stated by doctors as critical.

BALLOON VENDOR KILLED: A balloon vendor was killed in Pindora when his gas cylinder exploded on Tuesday, police said.