The Peshawar-bound Rehman Baba Express derailed near Multan early Tuesday, killing at least four and injuring more than 30. The railways minister has ordered a federal inquiry as rescue operations continue.
At least four people were killed and more than 30 injured when the Peshawar-bound Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah Railway Station in Multan district early Tuesday. The accident happened at around 5:15 a.m. as the train travelled from Karachi to Peshawar with nearly 1,000 passengers aboard, according to Rescue 1122.
Fourteen of the train’s coaches left the tracks. Rescue 1122 said 53 people were affected — four fatalities and 49 injured, of whom 22 had minor injuries and 27 were shifted to hospitals. Three of the dead were women and one was a man. Casualty figures varied across early official reports: Pakistan Railways’ spokesperson initially reported five deaths, while some later police accounts put the toll at six; the railways minister confirmed four based on the Multan divisional superintendent’s report.
Rescue operation and response
Rescue 1122 fielded the emergency call at 5:21 a.m., sending 11 ambulances, three fire vehicles and 70 rescuers. Thirteen coaches were cleared and work continued in the remaining one; the injured were taken to Nishtar Hospital, where an emergency was declared.
Driver Rizwan Abbas told Dawn the train was running at 100 km/h with a clear signal when he “suddenly felt a push” near Sher Shah; he braked and stopped, then found the coaches behind him off the tracks. He maintained the train was in working order.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi appointed the federal government inspector of railways as inquiry officer, announced compensation under the Pakistan Railways insurance policy, and headed to the site. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered faster rescue operations and the best medical care for the injured; President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences and called for a transparent investigation.
What happens next
Pakistan Railways set up round-the-clock help desks at major stations, arranged ticket refunds and alternative travel, and sent a replacement train with more than 500 passengers onward from Sher Shah. Buses covered onward road journeys; the Multan commissioner assured families of accommodation and transport; rail operations via Lodhran and Jahanian were fully restored.
A high-level committee has been formed to determine the cause, which has not yet been officially established. One passenger’s claim — that workers repaired the nuts and bolts of a coach near Rohri before the accident — has not been independently verified.
Why it matters
The derailment is the latest in a long series of railway accidents in Pakistan this year. On October 1, the Shalimar Express and Pakistan Express derailed in separate incidents that narrowly avoided major casualties; August saw derailments of a coal train near Firoza and the Rawal Express near Jhelum; and July brought accidents involving the Tezgam, Hazara Express and Shalimar Express coaches. Pakistan Railways’ chief executive has previously attributed the pattern to a lack of maintenance over the past five years. The deadliest recent accident was the August 2023 Hazara Express derailment near Nawabshah, which killed at least 30 and injured more than 100.
The inquiry’s findings — and whether they lead to concrete maintenance reforms — will determine whether this accident becomes another statistic or a turning point for railway safety in Pakistan.
Sources
- Dawn — At least 4 killed, over 30 injured as Peshawar-bound train derails in Punjab’s Multan district (October 13, 2026)
- Business Recorder — Four killed, dozens injured as Rehman Baba Express derails near Multan (October 13, 2026)
- The Hindu — Five killed, 30 injured as passenger train derails in Pakistan (October 13, 2026)
