At least four people were killed and more than 100 injured when two trains collided in central Pakistan early Thursday, officials said.

The accident occurred near the city of Multan around 2:30am when the Karachi-bound “Awami Express” passenger train rammed into a goods train which had stopped after running over a man crossing the railway track.

“At least four people have been killed and scores others wounded,” local district administration official Nadir Chattha told reporters.

Local state-run rescue service spokesman Abdul Jabbar told AFP the number of injured exceeded 100.

A three-day public holiday for the festival of Eid ul-Adha ended on Wednesday, with many returning from their family homes to the cities where they work.

Railway official Saima Bashir blamed the accident on the passenger train driver, saying he failed to heed a red signal that went up after the goods train had stopped.

Train accidents are common in Pakistan, which inherited thousands of miles (kilometres) of track and trains from former colonial power, Britain.

Source: AFP