ISLAMABAD/SUKKUR - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed sorrow and grief over the deadly train-bus accident near Rohri and the authorities to fully investigate and send back a detained report of the incident.

PM Imran Khan also prayed for the early recovery of injured. He directed health authorities to provide best medical treatment to the wounded persons.

Also, President Dr Arif Alvi and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the loss of lives in a train accident. Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial health department to ensure provision of best medical to the injured. Emergency was imposed in hospitals of Khairpur district.

Meanwhile, a case was also registered against the passenger bus driver.

At least 20 people died and more than 30 others wounded critically as Pakistan Express train collided with a passenger bus at a railway crossing near Rohri railway station on Friday night. Several women and children were among the victims.

A Pakistan Railways spokesperson said the incident was apparently happened due to negligence of the bus driver. According to DS Railways, the bus driver tried to cross track without noticing approaching train

While talking to reporters, the official claimed that a sign board was installed at the railway crossing.“Further investigations are underway to determine those responsible (for the mishap),” he said.

Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the wounded to the Civil Hospital Sukkur where ten persons are still in critical condition. The passenger bus was going to Sargodha from Karachi while the train, Pakistan Express, was moving towards Punjab from Sindh in high speed.

On the other hand, train service resumed after completion of rescue work at the rail track. All the trains stopped at various stations between Punjab and Sindh were allowed to resume their journey.

Relatives on Saturday collected dead bodies of those died in the tragedy. The incident took place in the locality of Jaraywah, Rohri, near Sukkur. Moving scenes were witnessed as bodies were taken to hometowns for burial.

The deadly accident halted the rail operations for more than three hours. Later, the train resumed the journey. The wreckage of ill-fated passenger coach that was cut into three parts was still lying at site of incident. A large number of people from different areas gathered on the spot. The medical treatment of those injured in the incident was underway at different hospitals including Pano Akil Cantonment.

Those killed in the incident included two real brothers, identified as residents of Gambat.

According to Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital Sukkur Dr Tasneem Khamisani, twenty dead bodies were brought to civil hospital Sukkur. The deceased were identified as Abdul Waheed s/o Ahmed Yar resident of Malir Karachi, an unidentified person, Shahid Hussain, Zafar Iqbal, Asif Jawed, residents of Lahore, Muhammad Ahsan student of Cadet College Sargodha, Faizullah s/o Abdul Kareem, Mariyam Bibi w/o Gul Ahmed resident of Swat, Piyar Ali Ujjan and Aitebar Ali Ujjan resident of Khairpur, Muhammad Ameen resident of Jhang (Punjab), Ghulam Farid, Najma Sultana and others.

The police were yet to ascertain identity of some of the deceased persons. Unclaimed bodies were shifted to mortuary of the Civil Hospital Sukkur.

Railways minister blames provincial government

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday blamed the provincial government for not constructing railway crossing gates. He claimed that it was the job of the provincial government to construct gates at railway crossings.

The outspoken minister was addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday. He also asked Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to release pending funds to the railways department. There are more than 3,000 unmanned railway crossings between Karachi and Peshawar. The funds will help us complete all such gates, he said. The minister also said that the Karachi to Peshawar Main Railway Line (ML-1) would be decided by May 10, as a result of which all manned and unmanned railway crossings would be removed. Once the ML-1 project is completed, the entire railway track (from Karachi to Peshawar) will be fenced, he said.