LAHORE, Aug 21: A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the derailment of nine wagons of the Parcel Express near Malir, says Railways State Minister Ishaq Khakwani.
“It’s premature to say whether it was negligence on the part of railway employees or an act of terrorism,” Mr Khakwani told Dawn on Sunday.
The actual cause could only be determined after track’s inspection following lifting of wagons, the minister said and claimed that there had been no setback to the passengers operation.
Special arrangements have been made at Karachi’s Landhi, Bin Qasim, City and Cantt stations for the transportation of the passengers, the minister said.
“It’s unfortunate. Such accidents on the main line, which is the best part of the track, cannot be acceptable if these are because of the negligence of railway employees. Railways is helpless if it was an act of terrorism as the Karachi divisional superintendent told me while quoting some residents of nearby areas that there was a blast,” he said.
General Manager (Operations) Abdul Wahab Awan was optimistic that the down track, where six wagons overturned, would be cleared by Sunday midnight.
“The driver said in his statement that he applied brakes after hearing a blast. Our Bomb Disposal Squad has also collected left-overs of some explosive device from the site. I shall be visiting the site on Monday,” the GM said.
Chief Operating Superintendent Maqsood Ahmad Khan said the Tezgam, Faisalabad, Karachi and Korakuram expresses were terminated at Landhi, where special buses were arranged for transporting the passengers to the Karachi City and Cantt stations.
“The same trains have been sent back from Landhi stations to their respective destinations,” said Mr Khan.
Two cranes were busy removing the damaged wagons. “It’s difficult to remove the 64-ton goods wagons from the bridge. The bogie-covered or BC wagons involved each weigh 24 tons and each carry 42 ton luggage. First the luggage will be off-loaded and then each wagon will be lifted,” Mr Khan said and added efforts were under way to clear the track as soon as possible.