Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has dismissed the notion of a ‘wooden patch’ being the cause of the recent Hazara Express accident. The incident occurred on August 7 when the Hazara Express train derailed near Nawabshah in Sindh while en route from Rawalpindi to Karachi, carrying more than 1,000 passengers. The tragic derailment resulted in the loss of over 30 lives and left over 80 individuals injured.
While investigations into the cause of the derailment are still ongoing, initial reports suggest that the train might have struck a wooden piece on the tracks. This wooden patch had allegedly been placed on the track as a makeshift repair, yet it appears it was not properly secured. The impact of the train hitting this patch is believed to have triggered the derailment.
During a session in the National Assembly (NA), Minister Rafique addressed the concerns surrounding the accident. He stated that the stretch of track where the incident took place was indeed in poor condition, but he refuted claims of any wooden patch being involved in the tragedy. Moreover, the minister highlighted that the derailment of the train was not the direct cause of the fatalities.
Rafique went on to announce the suspension of six railway officers who are linked to the accident, signifying the government’s commitment to address the matter thoroughly.
The minister underscored the necessity of making substantial investments in the railway infrastructure, stressing the significance of projects like ML-1. These efforts aim to modernize and improve the rail network’s safety and reliability.
This train accident is the latest in a series of unfortunate railway incidents that have occurred in Pakistan. Earlier in the year, a train derailment in Sindh resulted in the loss of at least 18 lives, while a collision involving trains in Punjab claimed the lives of a minimum of 19 individuals.
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As investigations continue, the focus remains on enhancing railway safety measures and infrastructure to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring in the future. Minister Rafique’s dismissal of the ‘wooden patch’ theory redirects attention towards the overall condition of the tracks and the larger context of railway system improvements.
