The Facts
At least 30 travelers have been killed and over 100 injured after a train derailed in southern Pakistan on Sunday.
The incident occurred when ten carriages of the Hazara Express train derailed off the city of Nawabshah in the southern Sindh province.
The Spin
Narrative A
Sunday's accident highlights Pakistan's worrying railway safety record and failing rail infrastructure. Despite several accidents, successive governments have brought about little improvement in the condition of railway tracks since the country gained independence in 1947. Countless lives will be lost if colonial-era communications and signal systems remain antiquated, and safety standards and railway tracks aren't upgraded.
Narrative B
Despite many problems, Pakistan's railway system is moving towards modernization as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. While the cause of Sunday's crash has not yet been ascertained, it will be determined after a thorough investigation, as relevant officials have been directed to establish all possibilities. Pakistani authorities are moving quickly in their search and rescue which, for now, is rightly prioritizing victims and their families.
