At least 20 people have died after a train plowed into a bus at a railway crossing in Punjab, eastern Pakistan. Survivors of the accident have been rushed to a nearby hospital.
Footage taken at the scene of the accident shows the front of a bus being removed from the tracks. The vehicle, believed to be carrying Sikh pilgrims, was reportedly hit while driving through an unmanned railway crossing. A mangled segment of the vehicle appears to have been flung to the side of the railroad track by the incoming train.
Tragic incident near Sheikhupura. 19 Sikh pilgrims killed as their bus was hit by a train at a gateless crossing in Farooqabad. The pilgrims from Peshawar were visiting Gurdwara Sacha Sauda. pic.twitter.com/PQ7DYXx5z0
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) July 3, 2020
In another clip, security personnel and first responders are seen picking through the wreckage, as several bodies, covered with white blankets, lie on the ground.
My heartfelt condolences to the families of 19 #Sikh pilgrims who lost their lives & those injured while returning to Gurdwara Sacha Sauda on a Coaster when it hit the Lahore-bound train from #Karachi near Farooqabad Rly station
We stand in solidarity with their families🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/NdiS23NUFD
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) July 3, 2020
In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan offered his condolences to the families of the victims, and promised that those injured in the accident would receive “proper medical care.”
Deeply saddened at the accident this afternoon at a railway crossing near Sheikhupura which resulted in the death of atleast 20 people, mainly Sikh pilgrims returning from Nankana Sahib. Have directed that proper medical care be provided to the injured.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 3, 2020
According to reports, the van was transporting around 25 passengers, with several of them being taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
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At least 20 people have died after a train plowed into a bus at a railway crossing in Punjab, eastern Pakistan. Survivors of the accident have been rushed to a nearby hospital. Read Full Article at RT.com