Derailed train kills five in Pakistan

A passenger train derailed in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province today, killing five people and injuring 25 others, police said.

The accident occurred near Sheikhupura, a small city around 26 miles west of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, said Shahid Iqbal, a local police officer.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, and police said they were still investigating.

“Rescue teams have pulled out five bodies from the wreckage…. And 25 injured people have been transported to hospitals,” Iqbal told The Associated Press. He said police and railways engineers were examining the track to see what caused the accident.

The train was bound for Narowal, another town in Punjab.

Pakistan’s railways are antiquated, and in the past several years, hundreds of people have been killed in train accidents, often blamed on faulty equipment or human error.