Lahore, October 31: At least 62 people were killed and many others injured as a fire broke out on a train in Pakistan on Thursday after a gas canister carried by a passenger exploded.
The train, Tezgam Express, was on its way to Rawalpindi from Karachi when the fire broke out, destroying three of the train’s carriages at Liaquatpur near Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province.
A Pakistan Railways official said the fire was caused by the explosion in a gas cylinder. Some passengers were cooking breakfast when the gas cylinder exploded, the report said.
The cylinder burst into flames in two economy class bogies and one business class. After the blast, the raging fire engulfed two other coaches as well.
The injured have been being shifted to nearby hospitals while rescue teams were still at the spot.
Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed the fire has been extinguished and cooling efforts were underway.
Earlier, Baqir Husain, the head of the district rescue service, told Geo News some of the passengers were killed when they jumped from the moving train to escape the flames.
Prime Minister Imran Khan while expressing his condolences directed the authorities to ensure the provision of best medical treatment for the injured.
Three people jumped out of the train, in order to save themselves from the flames, according to details. PTI
