REHMAN BABA DISASTER: 6 Dead, 34 Injured as All 15 Bogies Derail Near Sher Shah Bridge; 18-Month-Old Girl Still Missing, Down Track Restored

MULTAN – At least six passengers were killed, 34 injured and an 18-month-old girl went missing when all 15 bogies of the Karachi to Peshawar-bound 47-Up Rehman Baba Express derailed and overturned near Sher Shah Bridge in Multan at 5:15 AM today.

Rescue 1122 completed a six-hour operation after recovering one more body from under a bogie during final clearing. All injured have been shifted to Nishtar Hospital where emergency has been declared. Four are critical in ICU, according to Medical Superintendent Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan.

What Happened:

The train was running at around 100 km/h when a sudden jolt was felt near Sher Shah curve. Driver Rizwan Abbas applied emergency brakes but all coaches had already left the track and overturned. Eyewitnesses and passengers told Minute Mirror that Bogie No. 9 had undergone temporary nut-bolt repairs at Rohri just hours before departure.

Rescue and Hospital:

Rescue teams cleared 13 coaches initially, with one coach taking longest. An 18-month-old girl, Ayesha, daughter of injured passenger Shabana, remains missing. Mother quoted: “She was sleeping on my chest, after jolt she fell.” Rescue and police continue searching fields around the site.

Nishtar Hospital received 34 injured and 6 bodies. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Faisal Saleem set up a relief camp at the accident site providing food and shelter to stranded passengers.

Operational Update:

DS Railway Multan confirmed down track was restored and opened after five hours of continuous efforts. Up track clearing is still ongoing and expected to open by evening. Stranded passengers are being moved to Khanewal via relief train. Black box of locomotive has been seized and driver statement recorded. Inquiry committee has been formed.

Officials Take Notice:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari took notice and directed best medical care. Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi visited the site and announced compensation of Rs 1.5 million per deceased and Rs 500,000 per injured under Railway Insurance Policy.

BACKGROUNDER: WHY SUCH ACCIDENTS KEEP HAPPENING

Minute Mirror investigation reveals Rehman Baba is not an isolated incident.

Official data tabled in National Assembly shows 386 derailments in last 5 years (2021 to Aug 2026) – including 213 goods trains and 173 passenger trains. Highest 95 derailments were in 2024, followed by 87 in 2025.

Main causes officially identified by Railway Minister:
– Defective track: 141 cases
– Human failure: 109 cases
– Rolling stock failure: 65 cases

Financial losses are huge. Ministry data shows direct loss of Rs 884.33 million from derailments in 5 years. Auditor General’s Special Study shows Rs 2,102.90 million loss to property (2013-2021) including Rs 1,319.1 million loss to locomotives alone. In addition, AGP found Rs 11.25 billion financial irregularities in Pakistan Railways for 2024-25.

Biggest recent tragedies: Ghotki 2021 (65 dead, 150+ injured), Tezgam fire 2019 (74 dead), Hazara Express 2023 (30 dead, 100+ injured).

765 staff have been held responsible in 386 cases, with action taken in 504 cases, but track rehabilitation, signalling upgrade and rolling-stock modernization remain pending.

Current Status: Down track open, up track to open by evening, search for missing child continues, inquiry report awaited.