At least five people were killed and around 30 injured after the Rehman Baba Express derailed in Pakistan’s Punjab province early Tuesday, police said.
The train, travelling from Karachi to Peshawar, went off the tracks near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan at around 5.15am, according to police.
Those injured were taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, while rescue personnel continued to work at the site, Geo News reported, citing police and rescue officials.
Rescue teams had cleared 13 coaches by the time of the report, with operations still underway inside another coach.
A passenger told reporters that workers had repaired the nuts and bolts of coach number nine near Rohri before the accident.
The claim has not been independently verified, and it was not immediately clear whether the reported repair was linked to the derailment, the Geo report added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and urged authorities for best medical care to those injured in the accident.
He directed the relevant authorities to speed up rescue operations and ensure the injured received the best possible medical treatment without delay.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been officially established. Pakistan Railways and relevant authorities are expected to provide further details as rescue operations progress.
Accidents on Pakistan's decaying rail system are common.
In August 2023, the derailment of the Hazara Express near Nawabshah in Sindh killed at least 30 people and injured more than 100, raising renewed concerns about railway safety and maintenance.