Funeral held for Pakistani children killed in train-rickshaw collision

Record ID: 163296

  • Title: Funeral held for Pakistani children killed in train-rickshaw collision
  • Date: 6th January 2017
  • Summary: LAHORE, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PAKISTAN'S RAILWAY MINISTER, KHAWAJA SAAD RAFIQUE, TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PAKISTAN'S RAILWAY MINISTER, KHAWAJA SAAD RAFIQUE, SAYING: "According to initial reports, the gate was open and its signal was up (red). It means that the train should not pass when the signal is up and the gate is open." JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) RAILWAY MINISTER, KHAWAJA SAAD RAFIQUE, SAYING: "According to initial information received, no whistle was blown and the train passed despite the signal being up." RAFIQUE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) RAILWAY MINISTER, KHAWAJA SAAD RAFIQUE, SAYING: "Both the gate keepers, one who was on duty and the other who had just started his duty, and the driver of the train are in custody of district police for investigation where railway police, railway officials and officials of district police are questioning them." RAFIQUE TALKING TO MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 21st January 2017 15:19
  • Keywords: Pakistan accident collision funeral children motorised rickshaw train
  • Location: LODHRAN AND LAHORE, PAKISTAN
  • City: LODHRAN AND LAHORE, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Ground Accidents/Collisions,Disaster/Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVA0045XY1A9X
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Relatives, friends and local residents attended on Friday (January 6) funeral prayers for the children killed when a train crashed into a motorised rickshaw in Pakistan.
    The children were on their way to school. They were aged six to 10, police officer Asad Sarfaraz said.
    Television picture showed relatives crying and wailing by the bodies and then holding prayers. A funeral for the rickshaw driver will be held separately.
    An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the crash.
    Sarfaraz said the gate at the crossing was open at the time of the accident, meaning traffic on the road was allowed to cross the railway tracks.
    Speaking in Lahore, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique told reporters heavy fog might have been a factor and two gate-keepers and the driver of the train were being questioned by police and railway officials.
    It was the country's third deadly train crash in four months.
    Twenty people were killed and dozens were injured on November 3 when a train crashed into stationary coaches in the port city of Karachi.
    In September, at least four people were killed and 93 injured when an express train crashed into a freight train near the city of Multan in Punjab province.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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