Around 4 a.m., the Shalimar Express train, travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore, crashed into a tractor-trolley near Chak No.142-RB Chuti Ghartal. The trolley, loaded with bricks, had run out of fuel and got stuck on the tracks at an unmanned railway crossing. The crash caused two coaches to derail and slide nearly one kilometre from the collision point. The accident injured 25 people, including the train driver and his assistant. A police spokesman gave these details on Wednesday.
As soon as they received the alert, local police and rescue teams rushed to the spot. Rescue 1122 provided first aid to many passengers on-site and shifted the seriously injured to THQ Hospital Chak Jhumra for treatment.
The accident halted all train services between Sahianwala and Salarwala. Trains going from Faisalabad to Lahore and Wazirabad also stopped running because of the damaged railway track. Meanwhile, the tractor-trolley driver fled after the crash. However, police reached the location and seized both the tractor and the trolley.
CPO Sahibzada Bilal Umar took notice of the incident after receiving the report. He ordered senior police officers to go to the site and work closely with Pakistan Railways. Police and railway authorities launched a joint investigation into the matter.
Railway teams are now checking the damage and trying to restore train services as quickly as possible.
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