At least 17 people died and 45 others injured after a passenger train collided Tuesday head on with a goods train near the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, police and hospital sources said Wednesday.

As per details, the Karachi-bound Allama Iqbal Express collided with the Super Parcel Goods train near Jumma Goth in limits of Quaidaba, police said.

The negligence of driver of the Alllama Iqbal Down train was behind the fatal mishap, Superintendent of Police Railway Police Muzzafar Sheikh said. The initial inquiry suggests that the incident occurred due to negligence of driver of Allama Iqbal Express, he added.

Soon after the incident, rescuers from different private welfare organizations including Edhi and Chhipa welfare services, Railway officials, Karachi police and Rangers and the Electrical and Mechanical (EME) team of Pakistan army rushed to the spot to carry out the rescue and relief operation.

Injured and deceased were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), located some 30-35 kilometers away from the scene of the incident, which also resulted in death of some seriously injured passengers, the rescuers said.

Dr Seemi Jamali, incharge of casualty department at the JPMC said 17 people died in the train crash, while the number of injured brought to the hospital was 45. The seriously injured were admitted, while others were released after first aid, she said.

Muzzafar Sheikh further said Jam Rasool Bux, the driver of Allama Iqbal Express failed to respond to red signal, resulting in head-on collision with the goods' train waiting at the track. After the incident, the driver managed to flee, but we have constituted a team to arrest him, he said.

An inquiry committee has been formed by the federal government and further investigation is underway. They can reach to the final conclusion only after the completion of probe of committee, he added.

An eyewitness railway official said Allama Iqbal Express coming from Lahore to Karachi rammed into stationary goods train. The impact of collision was so high that bogies after the train engine were badly affected, resulting in so many casualties, he said.