Crash that killed 21 under investigation
Sikhs from Peshawar were returning from the shrine of Nankana Sahib
Apassenger train crashed into a bus carrying Sikh pilgrims at an unmanned railway crossing in eastern Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others, officials said.
The accident happened in the district of Sheikhupura in Punjab province, Raja Ijaz, an official at the state-run emergency service, said. Ghazi Salahuddin, district police chief, said the dead and injured were transported to a nearby hospital.
Officials said the Sikh pilgrims were from the northwestern city of Peshawar and were returning from the shrine of Nankana Sahib in Sheikupura.
Stuck on tracks?
Asghar Joya, a government official in Sheikhupura, said an initial assessment indicated the bus driver tried to cross the railway track as the train neared but the vehicle slid and got stuck. He said, however, that officials were still investigating.
TV footage showed the train and the badly destroyed bus on the railway track. Sheikhupura resident Dilbir Singh said the pilgrims were returning to Peshawar when the accident happened.
He said that before leaving for Peshawar they visited the home of a relative whose family member had recently died.
Pakistan’s President Arif Ali and Prime Minister Imran Khan in separate statements expressed deep sorrow over the accident and ordered authorities to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.
Sikhs have several shrines of their religious leaders in Pakistan. One, of Sikh founder Guru Nanak, is located in Pakistan’s Kartarpur bordering India in Punjab.