ISLAMABAD: Train hits taxi

Published December 17, 2001

ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: A train with hundreds of passengers on board was miraculously saved after ramming into a taxi parked on the railway track near Tarnol, police said on Sunday.

The police said the taxi was earlier snatched by robbers from its owners and left on the railway tracks during the night.

The 85-Up Bilal Express, coming from Multan, unaware of the parked taxi in the night, rammed into it. However, no passenger was injured in the accident, which caused panic among the passengers. The train was, however, delayed.

The Tarnol police have lodged an FIR under the Railway Act on the complaint of the SSP Railway Police Mohammad Zubair.

Mr Zubair told Dawn that some accused parked a taxi on the railway lines which was hit by the train. “The attempt, by some unidentified persons, was made to cause damage to the train,” the SSP Railway police said.

Apparently, the incident appears to be a sabotage attempt aimed at causing serious rail accident.

BODIES FOUND: A wagon driver and a conductor were found dead in an abandoned wagon at Bara Kahu, police said on Sunday.

A wagon (MNP-8655) was spotted at a deserted place at Mandra Mor, Bara Kahu, during patrolling late on Saturday night, the police said. While searching, they found two bodies from the vehicle. They were identified as Qaiser Javaid, the wagon driver and Jalil Ahmed, the conductor.

The police said the two men were apparently shot dead after a brawl. The motive behind the murders was yet not known.