Ghotki rail crash

The Quetta Express was stopped at Sarhad station because of a fault in the brakes when the Karachi Express travelling from Lahore to Karachi on the same line half an hour later and moving at about 120km/h (75mph), collided with it from behind.[1][2] An emergency brake application after the crew saw the tail light of the stopped train could not prevent the collision because of insufficient braking power; two coaches had been isolated from the train braking system.[1] The collision caused at least three train cars to derail onto the opposite direction track, where they were subsequently hit by Tezgam, heading from Karachi to Rawalpindi. More cars were derailed by this second impact, bringing the total to thirteen.[2][3] All three trains were full of passengers, as trains often are in Pakistan.[2] a total of seventeen cars were wrecked, with over 3000 passengers.

The Ghotki crash was the worst rail accident in Pakistan since the 1990 Sukkur rail disaster.[3][4] The exact number killed was not originally known; initial reports were of 109[5] 120,[6] 127,[3] or more than 130 deaths,[2][4] with many critically injured.

Initially the conductor or driver of the Karachi Express was believed to have missed or misread a signal,[2][4][5][6] but subsequent investigations found that the signalling system was faulty and the crew had misjudged which signal was wrong. Also the points had not been set to direct the train to the loop line.[1]

• 2019 Ghotki riots