People gather at the site of the deadly train collision in Ghotki, Pakistan
© AP
People gather at the site of the deadly train collision in Ghotki, Pakistan
Two express trains have collided in southern Pakistan, killing at least 38 passengers and injuring dozens of others as rescuers and villagers worked to pull trapped people out of the wreckage.

The collision in the early hours of Monday in the Ghotki district of the Sindh province happened after the coaches of one train, the Millat Express, derailed and fell across the opposite track, where it was hit by a second train, the Sir Syed Express.

Between 15 and 20 people are still trapped in the wreckage while authorities arrange heavy machinery to rescue passengers crying for help, senior district police official Umar Tufail told local media.

He said it was not immediately clear what caused the collision, adding: "Right now the challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage."


Railway officials said there were about 1,100 passengers on board the two trains. According to local media reports some of the passengers travelling on the Millat Express train were attending a wedding but it was unclear whether they were among the dead or injured.

Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan expressed his shock over the news on Twitter, saying he has asked railway officials to supervise the rescue work and also ordered a probe into the crash.

Military troops have joined ambulance workers to help with relief efforts, as footage showed dozens of injured people being carried to nearby hospitals, some believed to be in critical condition.

Aijaz Ahmed, the driver of the Sir Syed Express train, survived the crash. He told Pakistan's Geo News TV that on seeing the derailed train cars he tried his best to avoid the accident by braking but failed.

Railway officials said on Monday that they had ordered an investigation into the crash and rescue work was still in progress.

Train accidents are common in Pakistan due to the poorly maintained signal system and ageing tracks. In 1990, a packed passenger train collided into a standing freight train in southern Pakistan, killing 210 people in the worst rail disaster in the country's history.