LAHORE / HYDERABAD: Missing fishplates and a damaged track caused the derailment of the Hazara Express, acc­o­rding to a preliminary rep­ort of the departmental probe into the crash near Nawabshah that left at least 30 people dead and scores injured on Sunday.

“After checking from all the aspects, we came to [the] conclusion that [the] accident took place due to fresh rail broken and fishplates missing,” said the report released by the six-member Pakistan Railways inquiry team on Monday.

The team also identified skidding of the train’s locomotive as another reason behind the derailment.

The report, seen by Dawn, says the train engine had left the site without examination by senior subordinates. Moreover, “little hitting spots” were found on the iron fishplates and wooden terminal beyond the accident point. “Hence the eng­i­neering branch and mechanical branch are held responsible for this accident,” it reads.

PR’s engineering and mechanical branches held responsible; sabotage not fully ruled out

The document says that sabotage cannot be rejected as the derailed coaches were dragged to a distance of 750 feet.

Two of the team members gave dissenting notes.

Stating that he did not agree with the report, one member said, “The derailment took place due to two fishplates missing, broken rail, [and] engine derailment inside the track due to spread of the gauge. Resultantly, the grazing marks were also found visible on outside the wheel disc. Also no heating marks were observed on the track, fishplates and bolts.”

According to the other disse­nting official, the actual cause of derailment was “due to engine axle jammed resulting deep fling which left hitting marks” at fishplates. “This deepness increased with continuous jamming, resulting breakage of fish-bolts for the missing fishplates,” the official’s note reads.

Talking to Dawn, a PR official said it was a “very initial probe report” as the final one will take some time to prepare.

“A detailed probe in this regard is underway as the Federal Government Inspector of Railways (a grade 22 officer) is on site to find out the reason behind this tragedy,” he maintained.

Track upgrade under CPEC

The inquiry team, headed by FGIR Ali Mohammad Afridi, visited the site of tragedy on Monday. The track is part of PR’s main line which is to be upgraded under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Talking to Dawn, PR’s Divisional Commercial Officer in Sukkur Mohsin Siyal said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against any official so far.

Some photos of broken pieces of track were being shared on social media by different people, with the claim that the damaged rails had caused the tragic crash.

“The picture seems to be a post-incident photo. Had it broken before the incident and considered as the possible cause of accident then the engine would certainly have fallen off the track first. Secondly, wood is part of rail in [the] entire system,” commented a PR official while requesting anonymity.

However, he said it would be premature to comment on the causes of the accident.

Delays

Though PR restored one track by 4am on Monday, traffic remained badly affected.

“If two upcountry trains are allowed to pass through the track, one down-country is signalled to resume its journey,” said an official.

The trains are being stopped at different stations for want of clearance as allowing trains to pass through the single track takes considerable time.

According to another official, the track near Sarhari remained inundated due to heavy rainfall last year and also because rainwater from adjoining areas was released near the track.

“But it [the track] was not affected and normal operation had started in September last year,” he pointed out.

According to deputy medical superintendent of Peoples Medical University Hospital Nawabshah, Dr Riaz Umrani, 27 bodies have been handed over to heirs while three were kept in the cold storage. He said 21 of the injured were under treatment until Monday afternoon.

‘Waiting to happen’

Sunday’s fatal crash, however, does not come as a surprise if a two-year old official report is taken into consideration.

In a letter sent to high-ups in 2021, former DS Sukkur Railway Mian Tariq Latif said, “tracks in Sukkur Division were in dilapidated condition, the entire tracks had loose and weak joints everywhere, jolted track, big gaps, fishplate, and joint bolts were missing, and more than 6,000 joints of the main line were found dangerous”.

It may be noted that more derailment cases have occurred in Sukkur Divisions than anywhere else due to the rickety condition of tracks from Sukkur to Sibi, and from Sukkur to Liaquatpur.

He had demanded at least five welding teams against the one available which could only weld six joints in a day.

A few days after Mr Latif’s letter, an accident took place at Rwanti railway station in which 62 passengers lost their lives.

Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023