JAMSHORO - At least five people were injured when two freight trains collided near Jamshoro on Saturday morning.

According to reports, a freight train carrying oil collided with another freight train parked near Bholari Station near Jamshoro. As a result, five people, including driver of one of the trains, were injured. Rescue teams shifted the injured driver and other people to Civil Hospital, Jamshoro for medical treatment.

After the accident, railway traffic, both up and down country trains, was halted. According to reports, at least eight compartments of the trains were badly damaged and four were derailed. Also, 150 tonnes of oil spilled over the tracks.  Railway officials said that heavy machinery was being used to clear the tracks. They said that one of the trains was going to Thermal Power House, Jamshoro while the other was going to Karachi. A senior Pakistan Railways official said it would take around 12 to 14 hours to clear the tracks and restore the rail traffic.  People affected by the crash have been given full refund of their tickets by the railway authorities. The operation is being supervised by the deputy superintendent of the Pakistan Railways, Karachi Division. However, no casualties were reported in the incident.

Govt asked to facilitate solar energy sector

Power loadshedding is increasing day by day amid the rising temperature in Sindh. Keeping in view the prevailing conditions, companies dealing in solar power equipment are trying to meet people’s electricity needs, said speakers at a function here on Saturday.

Over 70 million people in Pakistan have been deprived of electricity. Solar energy is the only solution to the prevailing electricity crisis hence the government should come forward and provide facilities to the solar energy sector so that solar power companies can easily import equipment, said Ghulam Sarwar Samejo, regional manager of the Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO), during a ceremony at Town Hall, Jacobabad on Saturday.  Manzoor Jalbani, district manager, said that Allied Solar Systems was trying its level best to provide facilities to people deprived of electricity.  Haseeb Khan, CEO of Allied Solar Systems and Muhammad Azam, IFC, also spoke.

JUI-F workers denounce Mastung blast

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kandhkot staged demonstrations to record their protest against Mastung suicide bomb blast in which 27 innocent people lost their lives and dozens sustained injuries, here on Saturday.

According to reports, JUI-F Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kandhkot workers blocked roads and recorded their protest. They termed it a cowardly attack. The protesters raised slogans against terrorists and demanded that the authorities take stern action against them. During the protest demonstrations, people had to suffer for hours due to blockade of the National Highway.