Five killed, over 100 injured in Pakistan train accident

Islamabad, July 2: At least five people were killed, over 100 others injured and scores went missing when four compartments of a train fell into a canal while crossing a bridge in Pakistan's eastern city of Gujranwala on Thursday afternoon, media and officials said. Aaj TV said that the compartments were carrying over 200 passengers when these fell into the stream. Railway Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said the bridge collapsed when the train was passing over it in Janki Chatta area of Gujranwala, a district located in the country's Punjab province, Xinhua news agency reported. He said that the possibility of terrorist attack behind the accident cannot be ruled out as there was no apparent fault in the train or the bridge. Rafique said another passenger train crossed the bridge in the morning and at that time it was intact and fully functional. He said he has formed an inquiry committee to probe the incident, and added he himself was on his way to the accident site for monitoring the rescue work. Railway sources said the train had 21 cargo wagons and six passenger coaches, of which four fell into the canal.