Before dawn on Tuesday 13 October 2026, the Karachi-to-Peshawar Rehman Baba Express left the tracks near Sher Shah in Multan, Punjab, derailing all fourteen of its coaches. At least four people were killed and dozens injured, according to Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, citing the railway's divisional superintendent in Multan, making it one of Pakistan's deadliest rail accidents of the year.

Rescue 1122 teams worked through the morning to cut into overturned coaches and pull out trapped passengers, completing the rescue operation later in the day. A Pakistan Railways inquiry committee has begun collecting evidence, and senior officials including the railway minister have visited the site. Here is what is verified so far.

Rehman Baba Express derailment: what happened

The train, service 47-Up from Karachi to Peshawar, was passing the Sher Shah Bridge area near Multan station at around 5:15 AM on Tuesday 13 October 2026 when all fourteen coaches derailed. A Pakistan Railways spokesperson confirmed the accident to Dawn and the Associated Press.

The driver, Rizwan Abbas, told Dawn that the train was running at roughly 100 kilometres per hour on a clear signal when a sudden strong jolt threw the coaches off the track. He said he applied the emergency brakes, but the derailment was already under way. One passenger claim circulating online — that nuts and bolts had been repaired on coach nine near Rohri — remains unconfirmed and should not be treated as fact.

By mid-morning the wreckage lay scattered along the track, and railway authorities restored operations through Lodhran and Jahanian as recovery crews worked on the down track near Multan. Divisional Superintendent Railways said the down track was expected to be restored within three to four hours.

The death toll, and why the numbers differ

The number of dead has moved through the day as recovery teams cleared the last coaches. At least four people were killed, according to Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, citing the railway's divisional superintendent in Multan, in his on-the-record statement. Earlier reports during the rescue cited five deaths (Pakistan Railways spokesperson) and six (Multan police and rescue officials) as the figures moved while coaches were cleared — earlier-stage reports, not the confirmed toll.

On the injured, outlets differ again. Most reported at least 30 injured. Rescue 1122's official update went further: 49 people received medical assistance — 27 were shifted to hospitals and 22 were given first aid at the scene. An emergency was imposed at Nishtar Hospital in Multan, and all the bodies and the injured were brought there.

When official tallies move during an active rescue, the latest figure from the officials on the ground is the one to trust — but it should always carry an "at least", because final confirmation takes time.

The rescue operation

Rescue 1122 teams from across Multan reached the site within the hour. Cranes and cutting equipment were brought in to open up the overturned coaches, and survivors were carried to waiting ambulances. The same emergency services publish seasonal safety guidance ahead of Pakistan's storm season.

The operation ran through the morning and into the afternoon, with rescue officials confirming later that every coach had been cleared and the search of the wreckage was complete. At Nishtar Hospital, doctors treated the injured while officials set up desks to help families find the missing and the injured.

Relatives gathered at the hospital and at Multan station as the lists of the dead and injured were drawn up — a routine part of every major Pakistani rail accident, and the part where information moves slowest.

What officials have said — and what they have not

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the accident and directed that rescue work be accelerated and the injured given the best available medical treatment. President Asif Ali Zardari also took notice and ordered an inquiry.

Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi expressed sorrow over the loss of life, visited the accident site, and directed the inspector of railways to investigate. He said compensation would be paid under the Pakistan Railways insurance policy.

What no official has done is name a cause. The divisional superintendent said it would be premature to assign responsibility while the inquiry committee is still collecting evidence. The driver has described a clear signal and a sudden jolt; the physical evidence — the track, the wheels, the coach fittings — will have to confirm or challenge that account.

What the inquiry will need to answer

A full derailment of every coach on a train is unusual, and the inquiry's evidence will centre on a few questions. Was the track damaged or misaligned near Sher Shah? Did a wheel or axle fail? Was speed a factor on that stretch? And what is the full maintenance history of the coaches involved?

Passengers' first-hand accounts and the train's own data will be compared against the track inspection records. Until that work is done, every explanation — including claims of recent track repairs near Rohri — is speculation, not fact. Readers should treat viral claims about the cause with the same caution officials have shown.

For families, the practical matters are the hospital lists and the compensation process announced by the railway minister. For Pakistan Railways, the harder question is what the inquiry finds about the condition of the track and rolling stock on one of the country's main passenger routes.

What our records show, and what they miss

Our records show the verified facts: the time and place, the fourteen coaches, the rescue completed by Rescue 1122, the toll at least four dead and dozens injured per the latest official-attributed reports, the inquiry under way, and the cause not yet established. These come from Rescue 1122, Multan police, Pakistan Railways officials, and multiple major news outlets including Dawn, the Associated Press and AFP.

What our records miss: the cause, which only the rail inquiry can establish; the final confirmed death and injury figures, which may still change as hospitals update their lists; and the identities of victims, which officials have not released. Anything circulating beyond those verified points is unconfirmed, however widely it is shared. Severe and extreme incidents are recorded on our live incident tracker as they are verified.

The short version

  • What: The Karachi-to-Peshawar Rehman Baba Express derailed near Sher Shah, Multan, at about 5:15 AM on 13 October 2026 — all fourteen coaches left the track.
  • Toll: At least four people killed per the Railways Minister's statement; at least 30 injured, with Rescue 1122 reporting 49 people given medical assistance, 27 of them taken to hospital.
  • Response: The rescue operation is complete and all coaches cleared; an emergency was imposed at Nishtar Hospital; operations through Lodhran and Jahanian were restored.
  • Officials: The PM, president and railway minister have responded; compensation was promised under the railways insurance policy — but no cause has been named.
  • Unknown: The cause. The driver's account (clear signal, ~100 km/h, sudden jolt) stands unverified until the inquiry reports, and viral claims about repairs are unconfirmed.