Pakistan: Missing fishplates led to Hazara Express derailment

Hazara Express train derailment killed at least 34 people

Karachi: The express train derailment which killed at least 34 people was caused by missing fishplates and a damaged track, a preliminary probe report said, even as officials are not ruling out the possibility of sabotage in the major accident in Pakistan’s Sindh province. The Hazara Express train travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi derailed on Sunday in Nawabshah district near the Sarhari Railway Station, 275 kilometres from the provincial capital Karachi.

“Missing fishplates and a damaged track caused the derailment of the Hazara Express,” the preliminary report was quoted as stating by the Dawn newspaper on Tuesday. “After checking from all the aspects, we came to (the) conclusion that (the) accident took place due to fresh rail broken and fishplates missing,” said the report released by the six-member Pakistan Railways inquiry team on Monday. The team also identified the skidding of the train’s locomotive as another reason behind the derailment.

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The report says the train engine had left the site without examination by senior subordinates. However, some railway officials are not ruling out the possibility of sabotage in the accident. 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. At least 34 people died and over 100 were injured in the accident, officials said.

Two of the team members gave dissenting notes. Stating that he did not agree with the report, one member said, “The derailment took place due to two fishplates missing, broken rail, [and] engine derailment inside the track due to spread of the gauge. As a result, the grazing marks were also found visible outside the wheel disc. Also, no heating marks were observed on the track, fishplates and bolts.”

According to the other disse­nting official, the actual cause of the derailment was “due to engine axle jamming resulting in deep fling which left hitting marks” at fishplates. “This deepness increased with continuous jamming, resulting in breakage of fish bolts for the missing fishplates,” the official’s note reads. However, it was a “very initial probe report” as the final one will take some time to prepare, the report said. “A detailed probe is underway as the Federal Government Inspector of Railways is on-site to find out the reason behind this tragedy,” the report added.