Rehman Baba Express derails near Multan's Sher Shah station: 5 killed, more than 40 injured

Five passengers were killed and more than 40 injured when the Rehman Baba Express, bound for Peshawar, derailed near Sher Shah Railway Station on the outskirts of Multan on Tuesday, 13 October. Pakistan Railways chief executive Muhammad Hafeezullah confirmed the toll, Dawn reported; Business Recorder put the injured at 41.

What happened near Sher Shah

Several passenger coaches left the track. The driver, Rizwan Abbas, told reporters the train was running at about 100 km/h on a clear signal when he felt a sudden push near Sher Shah, braked and brought it to a stop. He said the locomotive was in working order.

An initial Pakistan Railways report says a fault in one of the passenger coaches was the likely cause. That is a first finding, not the result of the inquiry.

The inquiry

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has appointed the Federal Government Inspector of Railways (FGIR) to hold the inquiry. He said those responsible would be held to account and that repair work on locomotives, coaches and wagons would be finished by 31 December. Asked about resignations, he asked for patience until the inquiry reports.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered rescue and relief work to be speeded up, and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths. Multan Commissioner Amir Karim Khan met injured passengers and their families.

If you or your family were on the train

• Onward travel: a replacement train carrying more than 500 passengers left Sher Shah after the accident, and buses were arranged with the Multan district administration for people continuing by road.
• Help desks: Railways has opened round-the-clock help desks at major stations for information on passengers.
• Refunds: divisional commercial officers have been told to arrange refunds and alternative travel. If you booked online, start with the refund steps in our Pakistan Railways online booking guide.
• Compensation: Railways says the families of those killed and the injured will be paid under its passenger insurance policy.

A run of derailments

The accident follows a series of near misses on the network. On 1 October the Shalimar Express and the Pakistan Express narrowly avoided serious accidents, and the Jaffar Express was involved in a minor one, according to Dawn.

Trains on the Multan section may run late while the line is cleared and inspected. Check your train's status with Pakistan Railways before leaving for the station. For timings on other routes, see our Green Line train timing guide.

This story will be updated when the inquiry reports or the toll changes.