KARACHI: At least 17 people died and 45 others injured when a passenger train collided head on with a goods train near hereon Tuesday.
As per details, Karachi-bound Allama Iqbal Express collided withSuper Parcel Goods train near Jumma Goth in limits of Quaidaba, police said.

The negligence of driver of the Alllama Iqbal Down train was behind the fatal mishap, SP Railway Police Muzzafar Sheikh said. The initial inquiry suggests that the incident occurred due to negligence of driver of Allama Iqbal Express, he added.

Soon after the incident, rescuers from different private welfare organizations including Edhi and Chhipa welfare services, Railway officials, Karachi police and Rangers and the Electrical and Mechanical (EME) team of Pakistan army rushed to the spot to carryout the rescue and relief operation.

Injured and deceased were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), located some 30-35 kilometers away from the scene of the incident, which also resulted in death of some seriously injured passengers, the rescuers said.

Dr Seemi Jamali, incharge of casualty department at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center said 17 people died in the train crash, while the number of injured brought to the hospital was 45. The seriously injured were admitted, while others were released after first aid, she said.

SP Railway Muzafar Sheikh further said Jam Rasool Bux, the driver of Allama Iqbal Express failed to respond to red signal, resulting in head-on collision with the goods” train waiting at the track. After the incident, the driver managed to flee, but we have constituted a team to arrest him, he said.

An inquiry committee has been formed by the federal government and further investigation is underway. We can reach to the final conclusion only after the completion of probe of committee, he added.

An eyewitness railway official said Allama Iqbal Express coming Lahore to Karachi rammed into stationary goods train. The impact of collision was so high that bogies after the train engine were badly affected, resulting in so many casualties, he said.

DS Railway Karachi Aftab Memon said the railway staff had given signal to Allama Iqbal Express to give passage to another train, but its driver didn”t follow the signals, and train collided with good trains which was standing still on up-tracks.”

There was a loud bang and we were suddenly thrown off our seats”, a passenger Muhammad Aslam said. People and luggage from the upper berths fell on us and there was panic everywhere.

Muhammad Aslam, a resident of Lahore was coming with his 15-year old son Muhammad Tariq to attend the marriage ceremony of his nephew. He said his son had been missing since the accident.

A resident of Orangi, Noor Muhammad alias Noori, a retired military man and coming from Lahore after paying homage to Data Darbar said it was a horrifying incident. He said after collision he found himself outside the train. I sustained some head injuries. I badly many badly people around men. He said the rescue teams and ambulances took more than an hour to arrive at the scene.

Another passenger, Roshan Jehan, a resident of Korangi, who was coming along with his elder sister Farzana from Sialkot and was said he was going to washroom, when the train collided and he fell unconscious.

The deceased, whose bodies were shifted to the JPMC were identified as Muhammad Shayan 08 month, son of Muhammad Asad; Manesha, 03 yearsdaughter of Ishaq; Unknown, 01 years; a 50 years old man, FarzanaNoor, 30; Ayaz Leghari 50; Tahir Aslam, 30; Nasir, 29; Lalazar 20;Fazal Illahi, 20; Ismail 21 son of Mehmood Ali; Ismail Leghari 20,Nursung, 29 son of Lakh Dero, Abdul Raseed, 45 son of Abdul Ghafoorand Mehreeen.The injured were identified as Muhammad Nazir, 60; Muhammad Nawaz,20; Abdul Ghani, 20; Waseem Ahmed, 23; Ilyas 25; Shafqat Hussain 21;Tahir 17; Yasmin, 37; Sajid, 26; Sufyan, 08; Jahanwar Malang;Muhammad Ibrahim 25; Moazaam, 03; Muhammad Iqbal, 30; Arshad 28;Farzana, 35;; Waheed Ur Rehman, 36; Asif, 22; Shazia, 22; Sakhawat,40; Noroz Khan, 50; Kulsoom, 40; Nazeer 40; Attullah, 30; SheikhAzizullah, 55; Mehreen, 19; Shahbaz, 17; M. Bilal, 22; M.Aslam 55;Noman, 10; Javed 10; Kausar, 33; Waris, 20, NAzeeran, 30; Kausar,30.

The identity of 10 other injured could not be ascertained.