3 Killed, 50 Injured When Trains Collide Near Karachi

3 killed, 50 injured when trains collide near Karachi < br />

2012-09-17 22:01:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Two passenger trains collided near Pakistan's largest city of Karachi on early Monday morning, killing two railway employees and a passenger and injuring more than 50 others, local authorities said. It is believed one of the trains ignored a red signal.

The accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. local time when a Karachi-bound Shalimar Express train rear-ended a Karachi-bound Millat Express train near Bin Qasim Railway Station near Gajjar Patkah, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Karachi, the capital of Sindh province and the country's largest city.

The violent crash killed train driver Maqbool Magsi, railway guard Asghar Ali and one passenger whose identity was not immediately released. Emergency officials said more than 50 people were injured and taken to Karachi hospitals, but there were conflicting reports with some putting the number of injured as high as 100. At least one person was seriously injured.

Railway authorities said the Shalimar Express train was given a red signal in the Jang Shahi area shortly before the crash, but the driver may have ignored it. The accident caused at least two bogies to derail and overturn, and the engine of the Shalimar Express train was almost completely destroyed.

A train was sent to transport the uninjured passengers to their destination, but its engine suffered a malfunction and broke down near Cantt Station, forcing passengers to wait again until a second train arrived. Both the Shalimar Express and the Millat Express trains were already running late before the accident, with the Shalimar Express running more than 16 hours behind schedule.

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