Islamabad (Pakistan) | Jagran News Desk: In an unfortunate accident, at least 29 people were killed while over 60 got injured after a mini bus carrying Sikh pilgrims was hit by a train at the Sheikhupura district in Pakistan's Punjab on Friday, reported news agency PTI.
Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI that at least 29 people, most of them Pakistani Sikhs, were killed in the collision. According to local media reports, the horrific accident took place at 1.30 pm on Friday.
According to media reports, the bus, which was mostly carrying Sikh pilgrims, was hit by the Karachi bound Shah Hussain Express near the Farooqabad railway station which resulted in the death of 19 people. The police said that the pilgrims were reportedly coming from Nankana Sahib, adding that there were more than 25 persons in the bus during the accident.
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Pakistan's Railways Ministry said that the accident took place at a railway crossing which had no barriers while adding that the wounded have been admitted to a local hospital. Pakistan's Railway Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has also ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident. According to report by Dawn news, a divisional engineer has been suspended by Pakistan's Railway Ministry after the accident.
Following the incident, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his grief over the saddening train accident in Sheikhupura and ordered the best possible medical facilities to the victims. "Expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and directed to provide best medical aid to the injured," his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his grief over the incident and said that his thoughts are with their families and friends in this hour of grief. "Pained by the tragic demise of Sikh pilgrims in Pakistan. My thoughts are with their families and friends in this hour of grief. I pray that those pilgrims injured recover at the earliest," PM Modi tweeted.
On the other hand, an eyewitness said that the railway crossing did not have any barriers to stop the traffic and keep the train track clear. "The bus was stuck on the train track and was hit hard by the train. The train dragged the vehicle to a good distance. Then the vehicle exploded," news agency IANS quoted the eyewitness as saying.