SUKKUR, July 13: Pakistan Railways has announced a compensation of Rs200,000 each for those killed in the train accident near Ghotki and Rs100,000 to Rs50,000 for the injured depending upon the sensitivity of their injuries.

The announcement was made by Federal Minister for Railways Shamim Ahmed while talking to newsmen on Wednesday at Sukkur airport. Shakeel Ahmed Durrani, Chairman Railways, was accompanying him.

The minister said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had ordered a high-level inquiry into the accident and directed payment of compensation to the victims.

He said both the president and the prime minister had expressed their sorrow over the accident. He described the crash as an act of criminal negligence and vowed that those responsible would not be spared. The minister said a high-level inquiry was under way to fix the responsibility.

Mr Ahmed said that important witnesses, including the driver and the fireman of the Karachi Express, had died in the crash, which had made the job of fixing responsibility more difficult.

Replying to a question about failure of the signal system and negligence of railway officials, he said it certainly appeared to be a case of negligence but that could only be verified after the inquiry report.

Responding to another question, he said no action had been initiated against any railway official, as it would not be appropriate before the filing of the inquiry report.

The minister said the authorities had been trying to provide all possible help to accident victims and rehabilitation of the railway track and railway officials had been issued orders in this regard. He said he would stay in Ghotki for some days to supervise the rescue work.

Replying to a question, he said Federal Government Inspector of Railways (FGIR) Saleemur Rehman had been directed to launch investigation work by recording statements of eyewitnesses and railway officials so that action could be taken against those responsible for the tragedy.

Our Lahore Staff Reporter adds: Earlier talking to newsmen at the Railways Headquarters in Lahore on Wednesday, Railways Minister Shamim Ahmed said that according to preliminary reports, the Karachi Express driver was responsible for the train tragedy near Ghotki.

“The signal was red but the driver did not apply brakes. The train over-shot and collided with the stationary Quetta Express at the Sarhad railway station,” the minister said.

“However, it is too early to say anything about the cause of the accident with complete certainty. Some 236 people were killed in a train accident at Sangi over a decade ago and the possibility of terrorism cannot be ruled out,” he said, and promised that the people found responsible for the Ghotki tragedy would not go unpunished.

According to information received so far, the minister said, the collision left 107 people dead and hundreds injured.

Mr Ahmed said the Tezgam was passing on the other track when the Karachi Express collided with the Quetta Express.

Four coaches of the Quetta Express, three coaches and the locomotive of the Karachi Express derailed as a result of the collision which also hit the Tezgam passing on the other track.

The locomotive and three coaches of the Tezgam passed safely while its 12 rear coaches derailed and five catapulted.

Traffic on the affected section was restored by 10:30am, the minister said, and added that emergency centres had been set up in the control offices of major railway stations to provide information to people.

“Rescue and relief operations have been started. Railway officials and medical teams have reached the site and started providing medical aid to survivors of the crash and are shifting the injured to hospitals,” he said when asked why an inquiry had not been ordered despite the passage of about 10 hours after the tragedy.

Subsequently, railway officials ordered a full inquiry into the tragic accident.

Meanwhile, the railway minister announced a compensation of Rs200,000 each for those killed in the incident and Rs50,000 to Rs100,000 for those injured, depending on their condition.

Relatives of the victims will be provided free travel and boarding facilities at the site of the accident, the minister said.

Later, the Mr Ahmed left for Ghotki along with Railway Chairman Shakeel Durrani, Federal Government Inspector of Railways Saleemur Rahman Akhund, General Manager (Operations) Abdul Wahab Awan, Additional General Manager Imtiazul Haq, AGM (Passenger) Mushtaq Gadoon, Chief Medical Officer Dr Aitzaz Ahmad, Railway Police IG Ahmad Nasim and Chief Engineer (Signals) Chaudhry Ashraf.