30 killed, 60 injured as train collides with bus in Pakistan

At least 30 people have been killed and 60 others injured in a collision between a train and a passenger bus in southwest Pakistan.

The collision occurred in Kandhra town of Sukkur district, located some 500 kilometres (311 miles) from the port city of Karachi, on Friday, Xinhua reported. 

Commissioner of Sukkur district Shafiq Ahmed Mahesar said, "A passenger train named Pakistan Express, heading towards the eastern city of Rawalpindi from the southern port city of Karachi, hit the bus at a railway crossing in Kandhra town near Rohri area of the district".

The commissioner said that the accident happened after the bus driver changed the main route and tried to cross the railway line through an unauthorized point to avoid the traffic jam at the main highway. However, the bus got trapped at the railway track and could not avoid the briskly approaching train.

The train pushed the bus several hundred meters on the track after hitting it, an official from the railway department told Xinhua, adding that the powerful and speedy thrust of the train broke the bus into dozens of pieces that spread along the railway track.

Local people, police and rescue teams rushed to the site, lifted the bodies and the injured lying alongside the railway track. Police and rescue teams are reportedly searching for other injured person in the area.

According to local media reports, the passenger bus was going to the eastern Sargodha district from Karachi when it faced the accident while crossing the unguarded railway crossing.

All of the passengers in the train remained were safe, but the assistant train driver got some injuries after he bumped into the cabin wall.