Pakistan Train Fire Kills At least 62

Islamabad, October 31, 2019:

At least 62 people aboard a Pakistan train were killed  after a gas canister that was being used to cook food exploded.

The fire destroyed three of the train's carriages near the town of Rahim Yar Khan, in the south of Punjab province.

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According to official sources, two cooking stoves blew up. They were cooking, they had (cooking) oil which added fuel to fire.

Most of the deaths reportedly occurred from people jumping off the train.

Baqir Husain, the head of the district rescue service, said the death toll could rise further still, and 15 people had been reportedly injured in the deadly fire.

People sneaking stoves onto trains in Pakistan in order to prepare meals on long journeys is a common problem.

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It may be mentioned here that Pakistan’s colonial-era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic under-investment and poor maintenance.

Investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway. Not all the victims have been identified yet.

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