One commuter train hit a man and stopped near Multan in central Pakistan, on Thursday.
A second freight train heading for Karachi ran into the first train and least four people were killed and nearly 90 were injured, officials said.
It was not immediately clear whether the man had committed suicide or had been run over while trying to cross the tracks.
Human error appeared to have caused the collision, officials said, and an inquiry committee had been formed to investigate.
“The driver of the passenger train did not see the red signal, which went up after the man was crushed to death by the freight train,” Saima Bashir, a railroad official, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.
The collision left a trail of destruction. Four cars and the engine of the commuter train derailed.
Sixty people were treated at the crash site, rescue officials said, and 29 were taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, which appealed for blood donations.
By noon on Thursday, the rescue operation was completed, and efforts were underway to reopen the track. Officials said 40 ambulances and 200 rescuers had taken part.
Train accidents are frequent in the country.
Railroads in Pakistan, which are owned by the government, have long suffered from malfeasance and neglect, and the country is struggling to turn them into a profitable enterprise.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the episode and asked that the injured receive the best possible medical care.
“The prime minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls and the granting of courage and forbearance to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss,” a statement from his office said.
Source: New York Times
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