LAHORE: Pakistan Railways’ administration on Tuesday suspended six of its officials, including two 18-grade officers, in connection with the derailment of the Hazara Express near Nawabshah that left at least 30 people dead and scores injured last week.
The suspension comes a day after a departmental probe into the crash revealed that missing fishplates and a damaged track caused the derailment of the Hazara Express.
Ten bogies of Havelian-bound Hazara Express had derailed near Sarhari Railway Station in Sindh’s Sanghar district on Sunday, with Pakistan Railways (PR) officials stating the breakage of the railway line and hot axle, which jammed movement, as the reason.
However, Railways Minister Saad Rafique had stated that the possibility of sabotage as well as a mechanical fault could not be ruled out. He had also termed the railway track to be fit. Later, a six-member team was constituted to probe the crash.
In a notification issued today, the Ministry of Railways said six officers had been suspended with “immediate effect” and until further orders in connection with the tragedy in light of Rule-5 of Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.
The said officials included a divisional executive engineer from Sukkur, a diesel workshop manager in Karachi, the assistant executive engineer of Nawabshah, the permanent way officer of Shahdadpur, Kotri’s power controller and a keyman.
Probe team fails to reach consensus on ‘prime reason’ for derailment
A preliminary report of the departmental probe into the Hazara Express crash near Nawabshah has hinted at missing fishplates, damaged track and a sabotage effort as the main reasons behind the tragic incident.
“After checking from all the aspects, we came to he conclusion that the accident took place due to broken rail track and missing fishplates,” said the report.
The six-member Pakistan Railways inquiry team also identified skidding of the train’s locomotive as another reason behind the derailment. The report said 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.
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.
“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,” said one of the team members.
