KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) -- A passenger train crashed into the back end of another in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least 19 people and injuring 50, officials said.

The collision happened in the early morning hours when a train was parked along the rail lines at a small stopover platform on the city's outskirts, said Nasir Nazeer, an official at the Karachi railway.

The driver of the second train, which rammed into the first, likely ignored the rail traffic signal and caused the crash, he said. An investigation was underway, Nazeer added.

Three women and two children were among those killed, said Dr Seemi Jamali at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital, where most of the injured were rushed to. She said that of the injured, five were in critical condition and were undergoing surgery for head injuries.

At the scene of the crash, wreckage of twisted and broken coaches, many turned over on their sides, was spread over a large area, as police and rescue workers were going through the site, searching for more victims of the crash.

Police official Mukhtar Shah said there were fears of a higher casualty toll as bodies still remained trapped in some of the rail cars.

"We're hearing cries, people shouting for help from the wreck," Shah said.

Relatives were frantically searching for their kin at the hospital, many crying. "I can't find my husband," said a woman shown on a local TV's live footage from the hospital.

Pakistan has one of the world's worst rail infrastructures, and has often seen fatal accidents.

Pakistan Railways Minister Saad Rafique ordered an inquiry, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif offered condolences for the victims and ordered local authorities to provide their families with all possible assistance.

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Associated Press Writer Asif Shahzad in Islamabad contributed to this report.</s>KARACHI: Two trains collided in the city's Landhi area early Thursday morning, leaving at least 22 people dead and resulting in injuries to 65 others including children.

The accident occurred in Gaddafi Town Landhi at 7:18 AM when Zakaria Express collided with the stationary Fareed Express. Two bogies of Fareed Express and one bogie of Zakaria Express were completely destroyed due to the collision.

Fareed Express was at Juma Goth Train station when Zakaria Express crashed into it. Initial investigation reveals that the driver of Zakaria Express ignored the signal.

21 bodies and 65 injured have been brought to Jinnah Hospital, said Dr. Seemi Jamali, Head of Emergency Department at Jinnah Hospital. "Many among the injured have head injuries and some are in critical condition," she added.

"I am dying, I am dying, please, please, I am dying," cried Abdul Ghaffar, 55, as doctors tried to move his legs and hands. He appeared to have multiple injuries, while his children and wife were also wounded and lay on beds nearby.

Other victims appeared too stunned to talk. Many had head and foot injuries, and at least one man had his leg amputated below the knee.

The crash resulted in traffic jam, and ambulances carrying the injured got stuck on the roads.

Emergency has been declared at Jinnah Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Civil Hospital.

Fareed Express was coming to Karachi from Lahore, while Zakaria Express had set off from Multan.

All trains from Karachi have been suspended till rescue work is completed. Trains on their way to Karachi will be stopped at another station before they reach Landhi.

Officials said rescuers armed with metal-cutting equipment and heavy cranes had managed to pull all the passengers from the twisted wreckage.

"No-one is left inside," Ijaz Ahmad Khan, a Karachi administrative official, told reporters at the scene.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain expressed grief over the accident and offered their condolences to the families of the victims. President Mamnoon Hussain ordered investigation into the collision and announced financial help for the victims' families.

'We heard screams'

Passenger Ajab Gul told AFP he was on his way to his factory job when he witnessed the accident.

"Suddenly another train came speeding in and smashed into the parked train," he said, describing the sound of the crash as "huge".

"There were clouds of dust and smog. After that we heard screams. People inside the collided trains were screaming and crying."

Onlookers rushed to their aid, he said, adding that he had helped pull 17 people, including women and children, from the wreckage.

But, he added, "there were many other people trapped inside... we could not get them out."

Driver at fault

Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said the accident was caused through a human error and the signal system of the Railways was functioning perfectly.

According to Rafique, the driver of Zakaria Express was at fault as he ignored signals. "The driver and assistant driver are missing and there is a search to find them," Rafique said, adding that the initial report would be completed within 72 hours.

He announced Rs 1,500,000 for as compensation for the dead, and Rs 300,000 as injured.

He said that he will reach Karachi shortly to investigate the situation at the site.

Bilawal visits injured

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited those injured in the train accident at JPMC.

The PPP chairman said there should be no politics on terrorism and accidents. Bilawal sympathised with families who had lost their loved ones. He also asked for the best medical treatment to be provided to the injured.

Bilawal said there was not a single emergency centre in Pakistan and it would be the provincial government’s focus to build one in Sindh.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah also paid a visit to the injured.

History of train accidents

Train accidents are not unheard of in Pakistan. During 2015-16 three major train accidents took place. On September 15 this year at least six people were killed and over 150 injured after Karachi-bound Awam Express collided with a freight train near Multan.

On November 17, 2015 at least 12 people were killed and over 100 injured when the locomotive and several bogies of Jaffar Express train derailed near Bolan area of Balochistan.

On July 2, 2015 four bogies of a special train carrying Pakistan military troops and their families to Kharian fell into a canal near Jamke Chattha in Gujranwala, killing two people and injuring 85.</s>Initial probe reveals the driver of one of the trains ignored the signal and rammed into a stationary train.

At least 19 people were killed and 50 others injured on Thursday after a passenger train crashed into a stationary train in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, in the country’s second major rail collision in as many months.

The accident occurred in Gaddafi Town in Landhi area here at 7:18 am when Zakaria Express collided with the stationary Fareed Express at Juma Goth Train station. Two bogies of Fareed Express and one bogie of Zakaria Express were completely destroyed in the collision.

TV footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and local media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage.

Fareed Express was coming to Karachi from Lahore, while Zakaria Express had set off from Multan.

According to initial investigation, the driver of Zakaria Express ignored the signal, Geo News reported.

At least 19 people were killed in the accident, Railway Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said.

As many as 50 injured have been brought to Jinnah Hospital, said Dr. Seemi Jamali, Head of Emergency Department at the hospital.

“Many among the injured have head injuries and some are in critical condition,” she added.

The crash resulted in traffic jam, and ambulances carrying the injured got stuck on the roads.

All trains from Karachi have been suspended till rescue work is completed.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in accident.

Mr. Sharif ordered immediate inquiry into the accident and directed authorities to provide medical facilities to the injured.

Mr. Rafique announced Rs 10,00,000 as compensation for the dead and Rs. 5,00,000 for the injured.

In September, six persons were killed and over 150 others injured when a Karachi-bound passenger train rammed into a stationary freight train near Multan in Punjab province in a pre-dawn accident.</s>Television footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage.

Train traffic between Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, and the rest of the country was suspended after the collision near the city's Landi Railway Station, television news channels reported.

"Death toll is 16 until now," Javen Akbar Riaz, a senior police officer in Karachi, told Reuters by phone.

At least 40 injured were brought to Karachi's Jinnah Hospital, said Dr. Seemin Jamali, Head of the Emergency Department.

The collision occurred between the Zakaria Express and Fareed Express trains, media reported.

In September, at least four people were killed and 93 injured when an express train collided with a freight train near the city of Multan in Punjab province.

Pakistan's colonial-era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic under-investment and poor maintenance.</s>A long-distance train collided into stationary coaches in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least 20 people, hospital officials said, in the country’s second major rail collision in less than two months.

Television footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage.

Train traffic between Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, and the rest of the country was suspended after the collision near the city’s Landhi station, television news channels reported.

Sixty-five people were injured in the collision, said Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department at Karachi’s main Jinnah hospital.

The collision occurred between the moving Zakaria Express and the stationary Fareed Express, the railways ministry said.

Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique pointed at negligence as a possible cause, with a stop signal being ignored. The whereabouts of the driver and assistant driver of the Zakaria Express were unknown, he said.

He ordered an investigation which would be completely within 72 hours.

“Facts will be brought forward, and whoever is responsible will not escape legal action and punishment,” he said.

In September, at least four people were killed and 93 injured when an express train collided with a freight train near the city of Multan in Punjab province.

Pakistan’s colonial-era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic under-investment and poor maintenance.</s>Karachi: At least 20 people were killed and 50 others injured today after a passenger train rammed into a stationary train in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, in the country’s second major rail collision in as many months.

The accident occurred in Gaddafi Town in Landhi area here at 7:18 am when Zakaria Express crashed into the Fareed Express which was waiting for a signal to move onto the city station in Karachi at Juma Goth Train station.

“It all happened because railways officials gave the wrong signal to the incoming Zakaria Express which was coming from Multan,” advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister on Labour Saeed Ghani told the media.

Ghani said railway officials were trying to confirm how many passengers were in both trains but said the figure could be around 1,000.

Two bogies of Fareed Express and one bogie of Zakaria Express were completely destroyed in the collision. TV footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and local media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage.

Cranes were being used to clear the rubble and site and rescue all the passengers trapped inside the damaged carriages. “Electric cutters are being used to cut through the mangled wreckage,” railways senior superintendent Jahandad said.

The crash resulted in traffic jam, and ambulances carrying the injured got stuck on the roads. All trains from Karachi have been suspended till rescue work is completed. “It will take some time before the track is cleared and railway traffic can be restored because this was a big collision,” Jahandad said. Fareed Express was coming to Karachi from Lahore, while Zakaria Express had set off from Multan. Eyewitnesses said they had watched in horror as the Zakaria Express rammed into the parked Fareed Express from behind which led to three carriages overturning and damage to both trains.

A senior police official said that the death toll was around 20.

As many as 50 injured have been brought to Jinnah Hospital, said Dr. Seemi Jamali, Head of Emergency Department at the hospital. “Many among the injured have head injuries and some are in critical condition,” she added.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in accident. Sharif ordered immediate inquiry into the accident and directed authorities to provide medical facilities to the injured.

Railway minister Khwaja Saad Rafique announced Rs 1,000,000 as compensation for the dead and Rs 500,000 for the injured. He tweeted that an “independent inquiry” will be held to hold accountable those responsible for the incident.

In September, six persons were killed and over 150 others injured when a Karachi-bound passenger train rammed into a stationary freight train near Multan in Punjab province in a pre-dawn accident.</s>Two trains collided in the Pakistani port city of Karachi today killing at least 11 people, a hospital official said, as the country suffered its second major rail collision in less than two months. Television footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and local media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage.

All train traffic between Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, and the rest of the country was suspended after the collision near the city’s Landi Railway Station, television news channels reported. “Eleven brought dead and 40 injured brought to hospital,” Dr. Seemin Jamali, Head of Emergency Department at the Jinnah Hospital in Karachi told Reuters by phone.

The collision occurred between the Zakaria Express and Fareed Express trains, media reported. In September, at least four people were killed and 93 were injured when an express train collided with a freight train near the city of Multan, in Punjab province. Pakistan’s colonial-era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic under-investment and poor maintenance.</s>The incident occurred when the Zakaria Express train from Multan collided with Fareed Express from Lahore, according to Ashraf Lanjaar, director general of operations at the Ministry of Railways.

Both trains run every 15 minutes from their respective stations during morning rush hour. The Zakaria train has a capacity of 1,232 people and the Fareed train 1,320.

The Fareed Express was already standing at Landhi Railway station when Zakaria Express crashed into it. It appears that the driver of Zakaria express ignored the signals on the line, according to Lanjaar. The station is on the Karachi city main line.

Video from the scene shows extensive damage to at least one train carriage, with rescue and relief and other officials on the scene.

Seemi Jamali, head of ER at Jinnah Hospital, tells CNN she and her team have been treating the injured and receiving the bodies of those killed since the accident occurred. People remove an injured passenger from the train wreck, Thursday, November 3, 2016. "I am directly in contact with (Railway district superintendent), supervising the emergency activities," he said in the post. "Really sad over loss of precious souls." I am directly in contact with D.S RAILWAY, supervising the emergency activities. Really sad over loss of precious souls. — Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) November 3, 2016 A followup tweet promises an independent inquiry into the accident. In a statement released by his office, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of life, and directed an immediate rescue and relief operation, as there may be injured and/or stranded individuals at the scene. Sharif also asked concerned authorities to investigate the cause of the accident, according to the statement, adding, "those found responsible for this loss must be punished." In September, two trains collided around 25 km outside the city of Multan in Punjab province, leaving six dead and scores injured.</s>The incident took place when Fareed Express collided with Zakaria Express due to wrong signal given to the latter, Geo News quoted rescue sources as saying.

At least 13 people were on Thursday killed and 40 others injured in Pakistan after two passenger trains collided here.

Three bogies of Zakaria Express were completely destroyed due to the collision in Gaddafi Town in Landhi area early on Thursday morning.

The incident took place when Fareed Express collided with Zakaria Express due to wrong signal given to the latter, Geo News quoted rescue sources as saying.

Rangers and rescue teams have arrived at the site and injured are being shifted to nearby hospitals for immediate treatment. According to reports, several people are still trapped under the wreckage.

So far, 13 bodies have been brought to Jinnah Hospital, head of emergency at the hospital Dr Seemi Jamali said.

The injured are being transferred to Jinnah Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Civil Hospital, where emergency has been declared.

In September, six persons were killed and over 150 others injured when a Karachi-bound passenger train rammed into a stationary freight train near Multan in Punjab province in a pre-dawn accident.</s>KARACHI -- At least 21 people have been killed and dozens more injured after two trains carrying hundreds of passengers collided in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi during morning rush hour Thursday, officials said.

Witnesses described watching in horror as one train sped into the city's Quaidabad Railway Station and rammed into the second, which was stationary, with the roar of the crash swiftly followed by the screams of people trapped inside.

Rescuers armed with metal-cutting equipment and heavy cranes managed to pull all the passengers from the twisted wreckage, officials said.

Many were rushed to Karachi's Jinnah Hospital, where an AFP reporter described horrifying scenes as the injured lay screaming and crying while medics rushed to help them.

"I am dying, I am dying, please, please, I am dying," cried Abdul Ghaffar, 55, as doctors tried to move his legs and hands. He appeared to have multiple injuries, while his children and wife were also wounded and lay on beds nearby.

Other victims appeared too stunned to talk. Many had head and foot injuries, and at least one man had his leg amputated below the knee.

Dr Kaleem Shaikh, the senior medical officer at Jinnah Hospital, put the death toll at 21 with 65 wounded.

Among the dead, he said, were a couple and their twin daughters.

Casualties were still being counted but there could have been a total of up to 1,000 passengers on board the trains when the accident occurred, said Nasir Nazeer, an administrative official in Karachi.

Pakistan's railways minister claimed the driver had been asleep, but local officials said only that an inquiry has been opened into the cause of the accident.

The accident occurred when the incoming "Zakria Express" from the central city of Multan rammed into the "Fareed Express" from Lahore, as it waited at Quaidabad Station, also known as Jumma Goth, in Karachi's Landi neighborhood.
At least 22 people have been killed and 65 injured following a collision of the Bahauddin Zakaria Express with a stationary train at Juma Goth Train station, Karachi, Pakistan.