Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that the freight train was stopped at the time of the accident, but a passenger train hit it from behind, damaging the first few cars of the train, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Thao told reporters.
Television footage showed police and rescue teams trying to rescue survivors and crowds watching from parallel tracks, with part of the first car of the destroyed passenger train wedged atop the last car of the freight train.
Railway authorities said a detailed investigation will be conducted into the incident.
India’s railway network, the fourth largest in the world, is undergoing a $30 billion transformation with new trains and modern stations.
However, rail accidents are not uncommon in the country, and in 2023 three trains collided in the southern state of Odisha, killing 288 people, making it the worst rail accident in recent years.
MNA