At least 21 people have died after a train struck a van carrying Sikh pilgrims in north-eastern Pakistan. The accident occurred on a level crossing near Sheikhupura, in Punjab province, when a Karachi-Lahore express train hit the vehicle, according to police.
Most of the victims are reported to be from a single family, returning from Nankana, a key Sikh religious site. Ten others were injured in the crash. No train passengers are believed to have been among the casualties.
Officials stated that the van driver attempted to take a shortcut to avoid the crossing, where the gates were closed. The driver was among those killed. Local police reported that 25 to 26 people were travelling in the van, including women and children.
The incident adds to a series of fatal accidents on Pakistan's railways. In November 2019, a Karachi-Rawalpindi train fire killed over 70 people. Pakistan recorded more than 100 railway-related incidents in 2019.
