Pakistan: Train collision leaves four injured in Bhakkar district Dec. 22

Event

A train collided with a freight truck stuck on the train tracks near the Shah Alam area of Bhakkar district (Punjab province) late on Friday, December 22. The collision caused the Mehr Express train to partially derail, leaving four people injured and resulting in rail traffic disruptions: the 128 down track was closed following the accident, according to local media sources. Passengers aboard the derailed Mehr Express train - traveling from Rawalpindi to Multan - were forced to seek alternative transportation, and trains traveling from Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) to Karachi (Sindh province) on the Khushhal Khan Khattak Express have been delayed; it is unclear when the associated rail disruptions will abate. Continued rail transportation disruptions are possible in the affected area in the coming hours.

Context

Train accidents (including collisions and derailments) are not uncommon in Pakistan. The country's colonial-era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic underinvestment and poor maintenance.

Advice

Individuals in Bhakkar district and those planning on traveling on the affected rail lines are advised to prepare for continued transportation disruptions and to adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.

As a reminder, Western governments advise their citizens against all nonessential travel to Pakistan, due to a high threat from terrorism, kidnapping and sectarian violence throughout the country.