Islamabad, Feb 28, IRNA -- At least 30 people were killed and dozens others injured when a passenger train collided with a bus in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Friday night.

According to local media reports the number of casualties was expected to rise as several of the injured were in critical condition.

The Pakistan Express train was on its way to Rawalpindi from Karachi, when it collided with a passenger bus at an 'unmanned' railway crossing. The bus was en route to Punjab and was carrying 20 passengers.

Meanwhile, Sukkur area Commissioner said that the injured, who included women and children, had sustained severe injuries and had been taken to different hospitals in Rohri and Sukkur cities.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and directed the Sukkur commissioner to dispatch rescue teams to the area.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Railways said that the accident seemed to have occurred due to the bus driver's negligence.

The spokesperson said that the accident occurred at an unmanned level crossing. He said that Pakistan Railways had previously written to provincial governments to man 2,470 unmanned level crossings.

Following the collision, the up-country track was closed for traffic. The down-country track was also expected to be impacted till the wreckage was removed from the track.

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