A potentially disastrous incident was averted on Saturday as the Khyber Mail Express train managed to escape an accident during its journey from Lahore to Karachi.

The incident occurred when the train, approaching Sahiwal, started emitting smoke from one of its bogies, causing immediate concern among the passengers and railway officials on board.

Swift action was taken as authorities quickly identified that the wheels of the affected bogie were jammed.

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Sources said that realising the seriousness of the situation, the decision was made to separate the troubled bogie from the rest of the train, ensuring the safety of the passengers and preventing any further damage.

If the train had continued on its journey without addressing the issue, there was a significant risk of a fire breaking out or the bogies derailing, posing a serious threat to the lives of those on board, the sources said.

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Accidents and derailments occur frequently on the country’s antiquated railway system, which has nearly 7,500 kilometres (4,600 miles) of track and carries more than 80 million passengers a year.

In June 2021 two trains collided near Daharki in Sindh, killing at least 65 people and injuring about 150 others.

In that accident, an express derailed onto the opposite track, and a second passenger train crashed into the wreckage roughly a minute later.

At least 75 passengers were burnt to death in a fire aboard the Tezgam express train in October 2019, while a two-train collision at Ghotki killed more than 100 people in 2005.