LAHORE: Around 22 tonnes of coal being transported from Karachi to Sahiwal via freight train was found missing mysteriously on the train, Pakistan Railway Spokesman Najam Ali Khan says.
The spokesman said that the coal was being transported on a trail basis for the Sahiwal coal power plant. The freight train laden with coal had left Karachi on Sunday for Sahiwal and when it reached Bahawalpur station it was noticed that coal from one of the carriages was missing. However, it is unclear whether the coal had been unloaded mistakenly or stolen as the train was on a maiden trial trip.
Each carriage of the freight train manufactured specifically for transporting coal has the capacity of carrying around 70 tonnes of coal. However, as the the train was on a trial trip, each carriage was carrying only 22 tonnes of coal.
All the carriages are equipped with a mechanised system to unload coal in just 30 seconds.
Pakistan Railway Spokesman Najam Ali Khan said that inquiry has been launched into the matter to know whether the coal had been stolen or unloaded mistakenly somewhere.
