ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways’ administration on Tuesday suspended 6 officials, including two 18-grade officers, in connection with the disastrous derailment of the Hazara Express in Sangarh near Nawabshah that left at least thirty passengers dead and scores wounded last week.
Ten bogies of a Havelian-bound train had derailed near Sarhari Railway Station in Sanghar district in Sindh on Sunday. Pakistan Railways officials said the breakage of the railway track and hot axle, which jammed movement, caused the accident.
However, Railways Minister Saad Rafique had said that the possibility of sabotage and mechanical fault could not be ruled out. He had also termed the railway line to be fit.
Later, a 6-member committee was constituted to probe the accident.
Ministry of Railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq said in a statement that 6 officers had been suspended with immediate effect and until further orders in connection with the accident.
Suspended Officials of Pakistan Railways
The suspended officials included a divisional executive engineer from Sukkur, the assistant executive engineer of Nawabshah, a diesel workshop manager in Karachi, Kotri’s power controller, the permanent way officer of Shahdadpur, and a keyman, according to a local daily.
The suspension comes a day after a departmental investigation into the accident revealed that a damaged track and missing fishplates caused the derailment of the train.
The committee also identified skidding of the Hazara Express’s locomotive as another cause behind the accident.
According to the probe report, the train engine had left the site without checking by senior subordinates.
It added that sabotage cannot be ruled out as the derailed coaches were dragged to a distance of 750 feet.
