A Pakistani train carrying around 300 passengers derailed Tuesday in the Baluchistan province, injuring 96 people and leading to the death of 19 others, local officials announced on Wednesday.
The Pakistan Railways train was en route to the Punjabi city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of the impoverished Baluchistan province, according to the Associated Press.
Initial reports indicated that 12 people had died, however officials revealed that several more had succumbed to their injuries overnight.
"The death toll has risen to 19 now. A total of 96 people are being treated in hospitals and around a dozen are still critical," Akbar Hussain Durrani, home secretary of Baluchistan province, told AFP.
Pakistani TV footage showed several badly damaged train cars and rescuers pulling the injured from the wreckage shortly after the crash. The military released a statement saying it had dispatched a helicopter and ambulances to transport the injured to hospitals.
The cause of the accident is still disputed, with Pakistan Railways official Iqbal Ahmed saying a technical fault in the engine caused the accident, while other sources still say the cause is unknown.
Regardless of what caused the accident, it comes in a region where train accidents are common, reported the Gulf News. Since inheriting thousands of miles of tracks and trains from former colonial power Britain, the railways have suffered through decades of decline due to corruption, mismanagement and lack of investment.
At least 17 people were killed in July when a special military train fell into a canal after a bridge partially collapsed.
