Tragic news has broken this afternoon, with reports that seven children have died in an accident involving a train and a motorised rickshaw, in Pakistan.
According to reports, the children – aged between six and 10 – were on their way to school, near the town of Lodhran, when the accident occurred.
The rickshaw started to travel over the ungated railway crossing – which was also unattended at the time – when it was struck and crushed by an oncoming train.
#Iran #News Train crushes rickshaw, kills 7 students, driver in Pakistan https://t.co/FPGCwxBaM0 pic.twitter.com/qqmteoxKHq
— P.M.O.I (@Mojahedineng) January 6, 2017
The driver of the rickshaw was also killed, while five other children have been left critically injured.
Authorities investigating the accident claim that a number of factors were at play: as well as heavy fog, a railway employee who was supposed to be on duty at the crossing was away from his post at the time.
Train crashes into motorised rickshaw in Punjab province, killing six children and the driver https://t.co/xB9HThLYy4 by @SyedRaza_Hassan pic.twitter.com/7Y91MDYdth
— Reuters Pakistan (@ReutersPakistan) January 6, 2017
This man, along with an assistant train driver, has been taken in by police for questioning. The pair have both been suspended.
Police are now investigating whether or not negligence was a factor in the accident.
