Pakistan passenger train derails killing 30

At least 30 people have died and 100 others injured when a train derailed in southern Pakistan, according to a police spokesman.

Several carriages of the Hazara Express overturned near Sahara railway station in Nawabshah, about 275km (171 miles) from the largest city Karachi. Wounded passengers were moved to nearby hospitals. Rescue teams are trying to free people from the twisted wreckage.

Accidents on Pakistan’s antiquated railway system are not uncommon. Videos posted on social media showed dozens of people at the site of the accident, with some passengers climbing out of the overturned carriages. One passenger who survived told BBC Urdu he had seen many women and children lying on the ground. “They were shouting and screaming. I didn’t know what to do. I filled my hands with water from this canal nearby and poured it on the faces of those who were unconscious, hoping they would regain consciousness,” Naseer Ahmed said.

Initial investigations showed the train was travelling at normal speed and they were trying to establish what led to the derailment, according to Railway Minister Saad Rafiq. It could be the result of a mechanical fault or sabotage, he added.