A bus carrying Sikh pilgrims returning from a visit to a shrine in Pakistan was struck by a train Friday, killing 20, according to the Associated Press.
At least 19 people have been killed after a train hit a van carrying Sikh pilgrims in NE #Pakistan on Friday, local media reported. pic.twitter.com/yKUSXQECDw
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) July 3, 2020
The Sikh pilgrims were reportedly returning from the shrine of Nankana Sahib in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, per the AP. At least eight pilgrims were also allegedly injured in the crash at the unmanned railway crossing. (RELATED: Video Shows Extremely Rare Rhino Taking Mud Bath)
Arif Ali, the president of Pakistan, and Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, both issued statements obtained by the AP expressing sorrow and demanding local authorities provide the best treatment to those injured. An official told the AP that an initial assessment indicated that the bus driver tried to cross the railroad tracks, but got stuck.
TOPSHOT – Residents gather around the wreckage of a van alongside a railway track following the accident between a train and the van transporting Sikh pilgrims in Farooqabad area in Sheikhupura district of the Pakistan’s Punjab province on July 3, 2020.(Photo by Arif ALI / AFP) (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)
Several shrines of Sikh religious leaders are present in Pakistan due to the partition of the subcontinent by the British in 1947, according to the AP. Train accidents are reportedly common in Pakistan due to the lack of safety standard enforcement, poorly kept railroad systems and driver negligence.
Residents gather around and take photos of the wreckage of a van alongside a railway track following the accident between a train and a van transporting Sikh pilgrims in Farooqabad area in Sheikhupura district of the Pakistan’s Punjab province on July 3, 2020. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP) (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)
A train crashed into another bus in southern Pakistan in February, killing 19, reported the AP. In November of 2019, a kitchen fire reportedly killed 74 people aboard a train in Punjab. Survivors said that it took nearly 20 minutes for the train to stop and the condition of the train’s breaks was questionable, according to the AP.
