The Sukkur rail disaster occurred on 4 January 1990 in the village of Sangi near Sukkur in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. 307 people were killed, making it Pakistan's worst rail disaster.^[1]

The train concerned (Bahauddin Zakaria Express) was on an 800-kilometre (500 mi) overnight run from Multan to Karachi and was carrying many more passengers in its 16 carriages than its 1408-seat capacity. It was supposed to pass straight through the village of Sangi but incorrectly set rail points sent it into a siding where it collided with an empty 67-car freight train at a speed of at least 55 kilometres per hour (35 mph). The first three carriages were destroyed and the next two badly damaged; 307 people were killed and 700 injured.

The investigation found railway staff to be 'directly responsible' for the disaster. Three staff on duty at Sangi station were charged with manslaughter.^[2]

Sources

• At Least 210 Die in Pakistan's Worst Rail Crash from The New York Times
• An improperly set railroad switch is blamed for the early morning collision from the Los Angeles Times

References